Preparation and confidence

Preparation and confidence

Preparation and confidence are very important tips. Good preparation always creates confidence. Sotheimportant thing to an interview is to be well prepared. In this you have to consider two things:You must prepare yourself practically for the interview.
You have to gather information which is useful during the interview.

Checklist
While going to interview you must consider the following things:

You have to confirm about the time, date and location of the interview and name of interviewee where appropriate.
You have to plan to get there no earlier than half an hour before the interview time.
You must ready with your dress which is professional.
Concentrate on the interview at the interview.
If you are asked to bring certificates, references etc., get them ready before the day. Your interview letter must be with you.
On arrival ensure the receptionist knows you are there.

Be on time!
Public transport may be useless if the traffic is heavy. Always keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So be on time at the particular location of interview.Also if you are there so early, you can wait nearby cafe of shop. And if you are going to be late, then best option is call them.

Be Prepared!
Preparation means not only preparation of your syllabus etc. but also look at the company's website and learn something about the company before you attend your interview.

Write down and practice possible questions!
If you collect the job interview sample questions and practice for it then it will make easy to remember when you get to the interview. Use the third person when talking about the job. Avoid sounding as though you assume the job is yours.

It is fine to ask about the package on offer and accommodation - living in and living out are particularly relevant. Do not forget to find out if the company will guarantee a resort or chalet - many will only allocate you a country. You could also try a fewer more testing questions such as how they differentiate themselves from their competitors or what they think the toughest/hardest part of the job is.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!
First keep in mind that you never the second chance to make a first impression so be careful.
Some points are here to remember:

Smile is one of the thing which may matter in your impression. Good smile always please people.
Dressing also an important thing. You should be in professional dress. And must be looking formal.
Do not forget for firm handshake.
Eye contact without glaring is showing your confidence.

Do not talk too much!
Always remember that communication is two-way things so give them a chance. Also don't interrupt to interviewer when he/she is talking. Give him/her full chance to talk.

One common mistake candidates make when interviewing is talking too much. It is important to listen to the question asked and answer that question. Keep your answers to two to three minutes at the most. When you limit your time, you tend to stay more focused. It is very easy to stray off the subject and ramble about things irrelevant to the job if your answer is too long.

Be enthusiastic and positive!
During interview always enthusiastic. Do not say bad points for the previous employers. Focus on positive achievements and views.

Check in During Interviews
Your initial interview answers should be brief. But some of your best stories may take time to detail, then after two minutes ask for permission to go on. You may say something like, "Now I have described about my project, would you like to hear about my role in detail?"

Answer Briefly
The best interviews have a give and take atmosphere. To do this, you need to ask questions and try to draw out your interviewer rather than talking about yourself nonstop. When it comes to talking during an interview, sometimes less is more. A general rule is you should speak one-third of the time and definitely no more than half of the time. When it is your turn to speak, do not hesitate to talk about yourself.

First Comes the Phone
Now a days telephone screening is becoming very common. So you need to be prepared for the phone to ring at any time. These screenings may be for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your answers and fit for the job. it is helpful if you have thought about questions likely to be asked during the screening and prepared your answers.

Take a spare photo and CV with you!
It may happen that the interviewer wants your resume and photo. Your interviewer won't be expecting it so you will impress them. It also helps them remember you after the interview. So always keep a spare photo and resume with you while going to interview.

Look Them in the Eyes
Eye contact is showing your confidence. Eye contact is one of the most important aspects of nonverbal communication and can make a significant difference in how you present yourself. If you look away when speaking to someone, you are viewed as lacking confidence or interest. So always answer the question with eye contact to interviewer.

Look Better, Feel Better
If you want to spruce up your appearance for the interview but can not afford new clothes, consider altering an outfit you already have by pairing it with a different shirt, tie, blouse or accessory. Even on a tight budget, you can find some real bargains out there. Think about what you need before you go out shopping. Outlet stores and resale shops offer some great treasures. For better or worse, looks can make a difference.

Talk about specific achievements!
Interviewers like to know how you felt about a particular success. Some will ask for specific examples of things you have done that you are particularly proud of; how you solved problems; how you learned - and improved - from difficult situations.

Think of an Interview as a First Date
Instead of the Inquisition, think of a job interview as a first date: you are both trying to figure out if there is a match. This mindset proffers many advantages. You come off as curious, not desperate, you do not assume that too-formal, phony-appearing job-seeker persona, you talk about what you want to talk about instead of just passively getting bombarded with the employer's probes and you are more likely to ask questions during the interview. Those questions will help you assess if you really want the job. Treat the interview as a first date, and you will both be better informed when deciding whether you should hook up.

Bring Up a Weakness
In an interview, bring up a weakness before you are asked for one. For example, "I really need to work on my leadership skills. I am a good worker and totally competent, but sometimes I lack the confidence to stand up and take a leadership position."

This will help you a lot as you want to improve yourself.

Get the Info
Informational interviews are a great way to get leads and information regarding company. It is important that the person you contact understands you are seeking information not a job. Be prepared when you ask for an appointment to say what you are looking for and why you want to talk to this person. At the informational interview, have a prepared list of questions. At the end, ask if the person has any recommendations of others you could speak with.

Virtual Thanks
You can send follow-up letters through email if this is the way you and the potential employer have been communicating all along.

Attitude Adjustment
It is difficult to remain upbeat in a tough job market. Isolating you and waiting for the phone to ring is the worst way to handle negative thoughts. When you start feeling down, take steps to turn your thinking around. Go for a walk, or do something fun. It may be just what you need to feel relaxed and at ease. Getting together with friends and having a support system will help you to laugh and keep going.

Explain Why You Left
Follow these guidelines when interviewers ask, "Why did you leave your company?" Carefully describe the reason for your departure, and do not go into details unless asked. Provide references to support your reasons for leaving and job performance. Stay with the facts of what happened, what you did, how you felt and what you learned. Then describe how you will handle things differently in the future.

Your References
For your reference list, you want three to five people and their contact information. Do not forget to get permission to use your references' names, and while you are at it, ask how they prefer to be contacted. You should also send them a copy of your resume so they will be aware of what you are saying about yourself.

The World's Toughest Job Interview Question
Great questions to ask early in a job interview: "What are you most hoping to find in the person you hire?" and "What would be my first priorities on the job?" The earlier you can ask these questions, the sooner you can start tailoring your answers to the employer's priorities. At the end of the interview, ask, "Based on what we've talked about today, I feel good about the position. Do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job?" Often, that gives you a chance to counter any objections.

Know What You Offer
Prepare answers for open-ended questions, like, "Tell me about yourself," by making a list of your skills and traits that match the employer's requirements. The closer your skills and traits are to the job description, the better chance you have of landing the job. You should leave the interviewer with a clear picture of what you have to offer.

Prove What You Could Do
Always put a positive spin on your answers to difficult questions. If you lack a particular skill or do not know a certain computer program, be sure to emphasize how quickly you learn. Give an example of a time when you were able to get up to speed in a similar situation. Companies are interested in people who can hit the ground running.

Sell Yourself
Interviewing is about selling yourself. The product you are selling is you. Give them reasons to buy. Tell them what you can do for them. Emphasize what you can bring to the company, department and position. Convince them that your product is better than the competition's

Talking Salary
Timing is everything in the interview. Let them bring up the subject of money. If you are asked what your salary expectations are too early in the process, just say you would rather postpone that discussion until you have more information about the position.

Ask your way into a better job
You can not really tell how good a job is from a want ad. There's often a gap between the exciting opportunity portrayed in the ad and the actual job.

You can often get the straight scoop about a job by asking the right questions. For example, in the job interview, ask, "What attributes are most needed to succeed in this job?"

After you are offered a job but before accepting it, ask a few more questions or even ask permission to talk with your future coworkers.

Do not forget to listen
Listening is one of the most underused interview skills. Most candidates are so nervous about answering interview questions correctly that they forget to listen. Follow these tips:

Listen through eye contact.
Listen with nonverbal expressions.
Listen until the speaker is finished.
Do not interrupt.

Ask the power questions
In the earlier you can ask these questions:

What are you most hoping to find in the person you hire?
What would be my first priorities on the job?

it is OK to be nervous
Not only is it OK to be nervous about an interview, but it is essential for you to accept how you feel. Telling yourself you should feel differently than you do is unrealistic and just makes you feel bad about yourself. What's the worst that can happen at an interview? For many, it would be not getting an offer. Did you ever think that maybe the job wasn't right for you? Try to look at the process as a learning experience.

Put up with rejection?
If you are rejected from the company, you may feel hurt, angry or fed up. Instead of being stuck in feeling rejected, take back the power by staying proactive. If you really wanted to work for that particular company, sit down and write a letter. Remind them of all the positive points you could bring to the organization. Let them know you are still interested in working for the company if something should change or open up.

Face the feedback
If you ask for feedback from an interviewer, be prepared to hear things that could be upsetting. You should listen carefully, and take notes to refer to and react to. Do not argue or defend yourself. At last do not forget to thank the interviewer. Then, take the advice and think about changing some techniques to improve on your next interview.

Follow the interviewer
During the interview, your interviewer is giving you information that can guide you on how to behave during the meeting. Observe your interviewer's style. Listen very carefully, and let him/her know that you have been listening by asking good questions and making good comments. Answer questions by providing the information asked for.

Emotional preparation
Preparing emotionally for the interview is also important. The right mood helps you perform at your best. Try out following points for preparing emotionally:

Get moving that means go for a walk, run, exercise, meditate, do yoga, stretch, dance.
Sing your favorite song while driving to the interview.
Repeat an inspirational phrase aloud that's meaningful for you

Preparing to meet the employer
The interview is not the time to get to know about the post or the employers business. It is a chance for you and the employer to get to know one another.

Gather information about your employer before you are interviewed like what are their current projects, what other interests do they have? etc.

You should know job description, or ask someone in a similar post. Otherwise ring the company to clarify.

Keep in mind that the employer is interested in you as a person, your experiences and your opinions do take the time to sit down and think about you, who you are and what you have achieved.

Remember the one thing that your CV must be with you and make notes about your work record and what you have achieved. Make notes and prepare and rehearse sound bites about yourself.

Ask Questions
There is always the opportunity to ask them questions at the end of the interview, remember the interview is a two-way process, you need to be sure you want to join them. Try to concentrate on issues, which are both important to you and combine an apparent interest in the company. Write your questions down prior to the interview and take them with you.

Be honest!
Be honest with every question. No need to lying about your background and/or skills. If you get caught then you will definitely out. Job interviews are about matching needs, if there is not a good match, then there is no chance of job.

Check your CV for possible gaps!
If there is any gap between your academic then make sure you know how you are going to explain time gaps on your CV.

Presentation
Dressing is also important aspect at the time of interview. Dressing should be appropriate for the post and the company. Try to get information about what the company would expect from employees. What would be appropriate for a building company is very different for a public relations agency. Be well-groomed and clean and above all try to look confident.

Thank-You Salutations
While writing an interview thank-you note, problem may arise like whether to use a formal or informal salutation? If the hiring manager is in a high position of authority, use a formal salutation. But if the hiring manager suggests using her first name. When in doubt, use a formal salutation.

Get to Work!
If you are Unemployed? Then your job right now is to find a job. Do not blame to yourself. Think of this as going to work. Research companies, industries and positions. Take this as good experience to succeed in future interviews.

Now a days, employers use telephone interviews as a way of identifying and recruiting candidates for employment. Phone interviews are often used to screen candidates in order to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited for in-person interviews. While you are actively job searching, it is important to be prepared for a phone interview on a moments notice. You never know when a recruiter call and ask if you have a few minutes to talk. When there is a call for you from company then you need to clear your head and shift your focus from family to your career. When you pick up the phone, ask the recruiter to repeat his or her name. Verify the spelling and write it down. Use the recruiter's name in your response. You are now ready to make a good impression during your first five minutes. There are three basic types of telephone interviews: You initiate a call to the Hiring Manager and he or she is interested in your background. The call from that point forward is an interview. A company calls you based upon a previous contact. You will likely be unprepared for the call, but it is still an interview. You have a pre-set time with a company representative to speak further on the phone. Here are some phone interview tips to help you: Be Prepared For preparing the phone interview, there are several things you can do. To prepare for the phone interview you can consider the following points: You can keep all of your employer research materials within easy reach of the phone. You can tape your resume to a wall near the phone. It will help a lot during the call and will be a constant reminder for your job search. Have a notepad handy to take notes. If the phone interview will occur at a set time, Following are some additional points you have to consider: Turn off call waiting on your phone. Place a "Do Not Disturb" note on your door. Warm up your voice while waiting for the call. Have a glass of water handy, so that you will not have a chance to take a break during the call. Turn off your stereo, TV, and any other potential distraction. Do not be afraid to pick up the phone The first step in the hiring process is the telephone interview. It may happen that when you pick up the phone, the call may be from any company. Then that time ask the recruiter to repeat his or her name. Verify the spelling and write it down. Use the recruiter's name in your response. If there is really any problem for you to talk, then ask for a telephone number and a convenient time to call back. You are now ready to make a good impression during your first five minutes. The phone interview tips will help you master the phone interview and get you to the next step - the face to face interview. So do not afraid to pick the phone. Be a good listener During telephonic interview, you must keep in mind that you must be a good listener. Avoid interrupting and let the recruiter complete his thought or question before you respond. Ask for clarification. Use open-ended questions. The more information you can gather, the better you can respond. We must know the fact that good listener is the best quality. During phone interview Here are the some points for successful phone interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting. Here are some do's for phone Interviews: Smile always helps you in every situation. Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice. Do keep a glass of water handy, in case you need to wet your mouth. Do know what job you are interviewing for. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Take your time, it is perfectly acceptable to take a moment to collect your thoughts. Remember your goal is to set up a face to face interview. After you thank the interviewer ask if it would be possible to meet in person. Do give accurate and detailed contact information in your cover letter so your interviewers can easily connect with you. Household members must understand the importance of phone messages in your job search. Use the person's title (Mr. or Ms. and their last name.) Only use a first name if they ask you to. When being interviewed by phone, do make sure you are in a place where you can read notes, take notes, and concentrate. If you cannot devote enough time to a phone interview, do suggest a specific alternate time to the recruiter. Give short answers. Do ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard. Do create a strong finish to your phone interview with thoughtful questions. Following are some Don'ts for phone Interviews: Do not smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink. Do not interrupt the interviewer. Do not cough. If you cannot avoid these behaviors, say, "excuse me." Do not feel you have to fill in the silences. If you have completed a response, but the interviewer has not asked his or her next question, do not start anything new; ask a question of your own related to your last response. The Open and Available Technique : You have a major advantage in a phone interview which does not exist in a face-to-face interview. You cannot be seen. Use this to your advantage. Have all of your materials on yourself and the employer open and available on your desk as you are speaking on the phone. This includes not only your resume, but also a "cheat sheet" of compelling story subjects, which you would like to introduce. It can also include a "cheat sheet" about the employer, including specific critical points describing the employer and their products. As anyone may be interviewer is speaking with you on the other end of the phone, he/she has no idea that you are actually being prompted from a document as you are speaking. All that person can hear is a well-informed, well-prepared interviewee. Keep in mind that this preparation is not "cheating" at all. It is preparation, pure and simple. So have your materials open and available when you are preparing for a phone interview. They are there to support you and enhance your value to the employer, who will greatly respect your ability to answer questions with focus and meaningful content. Focus on what you offer and can do The phone interview is surprise for us, so we must prepared for the telephonic interview. The recruiter's mission is to screen candidates and recommend those who will best meet the employer's needs. When describing your background, avoid the negative points. You will only get one chance to make a positive first impression. Stay focused by reviewing and use the key points you wrote down about your strengths. Sound positive, self-confident and focused The recruiter has called you indicates that your resume or a member of your network has given him or her a favorable impression of you. You need to confirm this impression. Put a smile on your face and into your voice. You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest through your voice and telephone manner. Check your voice by taping your voice. Listen it very carefully and make the necessary changes. Write out your responses and practice reading them aloud This will help you to remember the response. By knowing what to say, you will seem more confident and all qualities that recruiters seek in candidates. Most candidates usually are asked about their salary expectations during screening interviews. Recruiters and employers usually have a salary range in mind, and while often unwilling to share it at this stage, they expect you to answer. Your objective at this point is to win acceptance and be recommended for further consideration. Accordingly, you may want to avoid providing a direct answer to this question. These issues could include non-cash benefits and compensation, scope of responsibilities, work environment, job location, career advancement and others. Ask about the next step At the end of the interview, tell the recruiter you are interested. Ask about the next step in the interview process as well as the hiring timetable. If you do not receive a positive response and you are sincerely interested, ask the recruiter if he or she has any areas of concern. If there is a misunderstanding about you or the recruiter does not seem certain that you are suitable, try to clarify the problem, then ask again about the next step and timetable. After the Interview : After the phone interview. Following are some points which we have to consider after the phone interview: Take notes about how you answered and what you were asked. Remember to say "thank you." at the end of conversation. Second Interview Tips After the first interview next step is second interview. When employers complete their initial interviews for a job opening, they ask the top candidates back for a second interview before making a final decision. The second interview is also known as the site visit, office visit, or plant visit. A second interview may be the last step in the process before an offer is made. Both the employer and the interviewee should have specific goals during the second interview. Employer's Goals: Identifying specific qualities: In the first interview employers are trying to identify many general qualities important to their organization, but in the second interview employers will try to determine if you are having the specific qualities they are looking for in a new employee. Identifying organizational fit: Employers also want to see how others in the organization respond to you and if you fit their corporate culture. Interviewee's goals: Interviewee's goals are to view the facilities, meet employees of the organization. You have to determine if the company, the job, and the people are a strong fit for you. The second interviews are having two categories. Structured Interviews A second interview is considered structured if each interviewer has specific criteria they use to assess you. One person may ask questions to determine your computer skills or your sales ability. Another one may ask about educational background. Unstructured Interviews In an unstructured interview, the interviewer has to make a broad evaluation. Treat each interviewer with equal importance. You may get similar questions from all the interviewers. Do not get bored to Answer the same questions. Following are some Do's and Don'ts for Second Interview: Dress code Professional dressing is always helps for good impression. Arrive dressed appropriately for the job. If any doubt then wear a conservative suit. Prepare questions to ask your interviewers In the second interview there is an opportunity to ask the questions to interviewers. Your questions will show enthusiasm about working for the employer. Remember you are also interviewing to see if this is the position you want. Following are some points you may want to cover: Ask to see a job description. Ask about the performance appraisal system. Ask about the management style of the organization. Salary One question you should be ready to answer is on the salary expected. In an interview, you might be asked to state a figure. You must know the salary of persons of your qualifications as starting salaries in positions similar to the one for which you are interviewing. One way to handle salary questions is to give a salary range. Self-Presentation Arrive 5-10 minutes early at the interview. Be aware of how you interact with others, including support staff and other candidates. Engage in small talk with company representatives, but avoid controversial topics. Maintain professionalism at all times. Do not smoke while you are on site. Offer information you have learned about the company in your discussions and conversations. Remember your table manners: companies want employees with social as well as job skills. Maintain smile, composure and enthusiasm throughout your interview. RESUME TIPS: 1. What IS a resume anyway? A Resume is a MARKETING PIECE--not a "career obituary!" 2.What's a resume ABOUT? It's NOT about past jobs! IT'S ABOUT YOU, and how you performed in those past jobs--which predict how you might perform in a future job. 3. What's the FASTEST way to improve a resume? Remove everything that starts with "responsibilities included ..." and replace it with on-the-job ACCOMPLISHMENTS. 4. What the COMMONEST MISTAKE made by resume writers? Leaving out their Job Objective! (Equivalent to: Somebody knocks on your door. You open it and say, "Hello, what do you want?" They say, "Duh ...") 5. What's the FIRST STEP in writing a resume? Decide on a job target (or "job objective") that can be stated in about 5 or 6 words. Anything beyond that is "fluff" and indicates lack of clarity and direction. 6. HOW FAR BACK should you go in your Work History? Far enough; and not TOO far. About 10 or 15 years is enough--UNLESS your "juiciest" work experience is from farther back. 7. Don't include "Hobbies" on a resume? UNLESS the activity is somehow relevant to your job objective. OR it clearly reveals a characteristic that supports your job objective. (A hobby of Sky Diving (adventure, courage) might seem relevant to some job objectives (Security Guard?) but not to others.) 8. Don't include ethnic or religious affiliations (inviting pre-interview discrimination) UNLESS it SUPPORTS your job objective For example, include "Association of Black Social Workers" IF you're applying for Director of Inner City Youth Programs. This example is fictitious. 9. Employers HATE parchment paper and pretentious brochure-folded resume "presentations." They think they're phony, and toss them out. 10. Don't fold a laser-printed resume right along a line of text. The "ink" could flake off along the fold. 11. Don't MYSTIFY the reader about your SEX; they'll go nuts til they know whether you're male or female. And while they're worrying about that, they're NOT thinking about what you can do for them. So if your name is Lee or Robin or Pat or anything else not clearly male or female, use a Mr. or Ms. prefix. 12. What if you don't have any EXPERIENCE in the kind of work you want to do? GET SOME! Find a place that will let you do some VOLUNTEER work right away. You only need a brief, concentrated period of volunteer training (for example, 1 day/week for a month) to have at least SOME experience to put on your resume. Also, look at some of the volunteer work you've done in the past and see if any of THAT helps document some skills you'll need for your new job. 13. What if you have GAPS in your work experience? You could start by LOOKING at it differently. If you were doing ANYTHING valuable (though unpaid) during those so-called "gaps," you could just insert THAT into the work-history section of your resume to fill the hole--for example: "2004-2005 Full-time parent" or "2002-2003 Maternity leave and family management" or "Travel and study," or "Full-time student," or, "Parenting plus community service." 14. What if you worked for only ONE employer for 20 or 30 years? Then list separately each different position you held there, so your job progression within the company is more obvious. 15. What if you have a fragmented, scrambled-up work history, with lots of short-term jobs? To minimize the job-hopper image, combine several similar jobs into one "chunk," for example: 2003-2005 Secretary/receptionist - Jones Bakery; Micro Corp.; Carter Jewelers. OR 2004-2006 Waiter/Busboy - McDougal's Restaurant; Burger-King; Traders Coffee Shop. ALSO you can just DROP some of the less-important or briefest jobs. But DON'T drop a job, even when it lasted a short time, if that was where you acquired important skills or experience. 16. Students can make their resume look neater by listing seasonal jobs very simply? Use something such as "Spring 2006" or "Summer 2006" rather than 6/06 to 9/06. (The word "Spring" can be in very tiny letters, say 8-point in size.) 17. What if your job title doesn't reflect your actual level of responsibility? When you list it on the resume, either REPLACE it with a more appropriate job title (say "Office Manager" instead of "Administrative Assistant" if that's more realistic) OR use "their" job title AND your fairer one together "Administrative Assistant (Office Manager)". 18. Got your degree from a different country? You can say: "Degree equivalent to U.S. Bachelor's Degree in Economics; Tehran, Iran." 19. What if you don't quite have your degree or credentials yet? You can say "Eligible for U.S. credentials," or "Graduate studies in Instructional Design, in progress," or "Masters Degree anticipated May, 2008." 20. What if you have several different job objectives you're working on at the same time? Or you haven't narrowed it down yet to just one job target? Write a different resume for EACH different job target. A targeted resume is much, much stronger than a generic resume. 21. If you're over 40 or 50 or 60 and want to avoid age discrimination, remember that you DON'T have to present your ENTIRE work history! You can simply label that part of your resume "Recent Work History" or "Relevant Work History" and then describe only the last 10 or 15 years of your experience. (If something really important belongs in the distant past, here's what to do: at the end of your 10-15 year work history, you can add a paragraph headed "Prior relevant experience" and simply refer to that ancient job without mentioning dates.) 22. Can't decide whether to use a Chronological-style resume or a Functional one? Choose the Chronological format if you're staying in the same field (especially if you've been upwardly-mobile). Choose a Functional format if you're changing fields, because a skills-oriented format shows off your transferable skills better and takes the focus off your old job-titles. 23. Want to impress an employer? Fill your resume with "PAR" statements. PAR stands for Problem-Action-Results, in other words, first you state the problem that existed in your workplace, then you describe what YOU did about it, and finally you point out the beneficial results. Here's an example: "Transformed a disorganized, inefficient warehouse into a smooth-running operation by totally redesigning the layout; this saved the company $250,000 in recovered stock." Another Example: "Improved an engineering company's obsolete filing system by developing a simple but sophisticated functional-coding system. This saved time and money by recovering valuable, previously lost, project records." 24. What if you never had any "real" paid mainstream jobs - just self-employment or odd jobs? Give yourself credit, and create an accurate, fair job-title for yourself. For example, "A&S Hauling & Cleaning (self-employed)" or "Household Repairman--Self-employed," or "Child-Care--Self-employed." Be sure to add "Customer references available on request" and then be prepared to provide some very good references .