Sample Thank you Letter

September 8, 2006


Mr. Obama Alhambra
President Human Resources
shell Corporation
1000 Park Avenue
NY, 49525


Dear Mr. Ox:


As I was leaving your office on October 8, 2009 I was reflecting upon how much I enjoyed meeting with you and learning more about Shell Corporation. I appreciate the time you spent with me discussing your opening for an Outside Sales Representative.

I believe my internship with Shemax, Inc. and my educational background in Marketing and Business Administration make me an excellent candidate for the position. You mentioned the importance of having an outgoing person with a lot of initiative. I feel that my experience in using my marketing, communication and customer service skills would exceed your expectations if given the chance.

I was also very impressed with Shell Corp’s commitment to investing in your employee’s future though the Tuition Reimbursement Program you mentioned. I look forward to hearing from soon. In the meantime, please call me at 432-2345 if there is any additional information I can provide to help you in your decision.

Sincerely,


David Trunk

Sample Interview Questions

Why did you apply for this position?
Tip: How do you think that you might fit into this company

Would you tell us what attracts you to a career with us? How do you see your studies, skills, experience and personal qualities contributing to the work of the organisation?
Tip: How do you think that you might fit into this company

 Describe a time when you had to deal with conflicting demands. How did you deal with this situation and what was the outcome?
Tip: STAR

 Can you describe a time where you have been required to perform as part of a team? What was the situation? What part did you play in the team and what was the outcome of the exercise?
Tip: STAR

 How do you establish a working relationship with new people?
Tip: Team skills

 Where do you expect to be in 5 years time? What will you do if you are not successful in gaining this position?
Tip: Demonstrate to the interviewer that you have thought about what it is you want from work and what you hope to achieve. Let them know you are flexible however, and willing to explore new opportunities.

 What particular skills and qualities do you bring to the workforce? What other skills would you like to develop in the future?
Tip: Strengths and weaknesses

 Tell me about a challenging situation you have faced. What was the situation and how did you cope with it?
Tip: STAR

 Is there an achievement of which you are particularly proud? What is it? Why is it significant?
Tip: STAR

 Imagine that you are a member of a small team responsible for the development and production of an internal publication. Your team is dependent on another workgroup to provide the data which will form the basis of your publication. The deadline for completing this project is not able to be relaxed. (a) What factors do you think might affect the team's ability to meet the publication deadline? (b) What could the team do to ensure the project is completed on time?
Tip: Hypothetical questions allow the interviewer to identify key competencies deemed important by the employer. No right or wrong answer

 What are the key elements of measuring performance and how can you establish whether an outcome represents a success? (Answer this in terms of your own work or study experience.) More specifically, what do you think might be some key indicators of the successful performance of a national agency?
Tip: STAR (Behavioural +Situational question)

 You have demonstrated in your CV that you have knowledge of entomology. Could you please expand on your experience and tell us what you think your strengths are in this field. An important component of the position will be the maintenance of water quality parameters within acceptable limits for the species. Can you outline your experience in water quality testing? What do you feel are the most important water quality variables?
Tip: Multi-part question

 The ability to work independently within a structured team is essential to the position. This will require the successful applicant to be self-starting, able to prioritise tasks, be a good communicator, as well as showing considerable initiative. Can you give us some examples where you have worked within a team environment and demonstrated these abilities?
Tip: STAR + multi-part question

 What do you feel is the potential for aquaculture in Australia and what are some of the major impediments to its development? What are some of the major aquaculture species cultured in freshwater? As well as the position involving general maintenance of the aquaria and pond facilities, a significant component will involve participation in scientific experiments through the collection and collation of research data. Can you describe previous experience you have had in the day to day running of scientific experiments?
Tip: STAR + multi-part question

 The research project and facilities the successful applicant will be involved with receives considerable attention from the general public. Therefore, a component of the job will involve liaising with the general public and media. This requires the delivery of information in a simple precise manner. How confident do you feel you are in delivering sometimes complex information in a simple manner?
Tip: give examples

 What computer programs are you familiar with, and more specifically, what programs would you use to write a report, enter research data, and to prepare a poster or seminar.
Tip: give examples of where you have applied the use of these programs.

 You have had an opportunity to look at the statistical table from the publication (this was supplied before the interview). (a) Imagine you were asked to write a commentary on the information in the table. Are there any significant or curious or interesting features revealed by the data which you think should be highlighted, and if so, what might you say about them? Can you offer any suggestions to explain these features? (b) What is your opinion of the general layout of the table? How might it be improved?
Tip: multi-part question

Salary Negotiation

You Must do...

@Respond to the question positively without stating specific amounts. (Examples: “I’m earning in the low 30s.” “As a student, my jobs to this point have been geared toward gaining experience and making money to cover my educational costs.”)

@Mention your desired salary, either saying that salary is negotiable depending upon the position or giving a $3-5,000 range (if you know the market value for the position and for someone with your skills and background). You may also use terms like “competitive” or “open” if you are responding to this question on an application form. 

@Know your salary requirements as well as what you hope to make. You shouldn’t mention these in your response to the salary history question, but you need to give this some thought for when you get to the negotiating stage. 

@Be prepared to respond to a request for previous salaries in an interview. It can be handled by responding without stating specific amounts. Avoid specific amounts if at all possible. 

@Prepare a list of your positions (in reverse chronological order) for your own reference and just in case an employer in which you are very interested is absolutely adamant. (This will not happen often!) The list should include name of each company or organization, your position title, your compensation, and a brief synopsis of your position. 

@Research Salaries in Your Field: Look at recent salary surveys, talk to others working in your field, and contact your trade or professional association to find out what other people are paid for doing the same work. 

@Be Flexible: When going through a salary negotiation you aren't likely to get the exact amount of money you want. You will probably have to compromise. The trick is to figure out how much you are willing to compromise and what you will do if your boss doesn't offer you a salary you find acceptable.

Don't... 

@Include your salary history on your resume. What you did in a job is much more important than what you were paid.

@Lie about your previous pay rate. Employers can often verify your salary history through your reference checks.

@Look at How Much Money Your Friends in Other Fields Are Making: You may be envious of your friends who are earning more money than you are. If they aren't working in the same field you shouldn't make those comparisons.

@Talk About How Much Money You Need: When you are going through salary negotiations, don't tell your boss (or future boss) that you need to make more money because your bills are high, your house was expensive, or your child is starting college.

Job Specific Questions

Can you do the job?

Do you have the knowledge sets, skill sets and personal attributes to allow you to do the job?
Types of questions could include:

What parts of your education do you see as relevant to this position?
What prompted you to study..?
Tell me about a time when you had to communicate information to a group of people.
Tell me about a significant achievement in your life.
Tell me about a time where you had to work towards a deadline. Did you meet it? If not, what would you do differently next time?

After the Interview

Even though the interview is over, your work is far from complete... 

After each interview mentally review the questions asked by the interviewer and your responses to them. Were you caught �off-guard� by any questions? Could you have answered a question better, in more detail, or in a more focused manner? Quiz yourself after each interview and take notes. This will enhance future interview efforts. 

 It is advisable to send a thank you letter to the person(s) who interviewed you within twenty-four hours after the interview. 

It reinforces your interest in the position and can serve as an additional opportunity to separate you from the other candidates by recalling a notable topic or attribute discussed in your interview. Most employers will tell you when you can expect to hear from them. 

If you do not hear by that date, it is appropriate for you to call them. 

If the employer requests additional materials, such as an application, transcript, or references, send them as soon as possible.

If an employer indicated an interest in pursuing things further with you, but you are no longer interested in the opportunity, inform him/her of that fact as soon as possible.

Nurse Interview

Nurse Interview Questions and Answers

When it comes to jobs such as nursing many things are taken into account. Your background, education and job experience, your motivation and good work habits are all important things to factor in when it comes to health-care. So take the time to read the questions below and to figure out what the best answers would be: 

Questions about your motivation and aptitude: 

What do you like and don´t like about the job? An important question that experienced interviewers should ask. Your vision of your own job can be positive but, of course, if you are familiar to the nursing job you also know the disadvantages that come with the job itself, so do not be afraid to talk about them but be careful not to put yourself in bad position. 

Why are you interested in this nursing job? 

Not much you can answer to this question unless you have an idea of the organization you are applying for, so some previous research is important. Make sure you know all the pros of working for the interviewing organization, something that makes them different and interesting.

Types of Quetions

TYPES OF QUESTIONS:

Open-ended Questions - Used by interviewers when they expect more than a yes or no answer. Some typical open questions are: "What can you tell me about yourself?", "Why are you interested in the posted position?" or "What are your most remarkable skills?". The best way to answer these questions is by doing the right research before going to the interview (check your own resume and the organization website) and by making a list of possible open-ended questions so you can rehearsal your answers before the interview. 

Closed-ended Questions 

� Used by interviewers when they need to know a specific piece of information (years of experience, technical knowledge, etc.). These questions require a brief and solid answer. The best way to deal with these questions is by reviewing and making sure you don't have any doubts about your background and CV details. If the question requires a yes/no answer then always try to add a brief piece of valuable information to the answer. For example: "Are you experienced teaching children?" � "Yes. I have 4 years of experience and I think they have been really rewarding".