50 Great Questions to Ask on a Sales Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

50 Great Questions to Ask on a Sales Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Without exception, when recruiting sales job seekers, companies want the interviewee to ask intelligent, thoughtful questions. Though, all too often, the applicant does not come prepared with inquiries. Regardless of how well the answers the individual gave were, if they dont have pertinent questions, the meeting is left in an up in the air state. In essence, sales employees should think of this section of the interview as their close. For assistance, our recruiters came up with 50 questions to ask on a sales interview: 1. What motivates the sales personnel at the company? 2. How would you describe the corporate culture of the company? 3. What traits make up the most effective sales representatives at the firm? 4. What is the quota you expect from this individual? 5. What is the ramp-up time until I will be making sales? 6. What is an average sales cycle? 7. Who is the most profitable target market? 8. Whom within those companies will I be selling to? 9. What are some common hurdles the sales team currently faces right now? 10. How involved can a contract negotiation be? 11. How does your organization position themselves in the market? 12. What is the industry outlook for the coming years? 13. What are some of the traits you look for in a sales representative? 14. What are your competitors currently doing that the firm is not? 15. Where would you like to see the sales team improve? 16. Do the representatives use more of a consultative selling style? 17. How much is an average sale? 18. Is new business acquisition a priority or would you rather maintain current accounts? 19. What is a typical day like? 20. What is the typical sales recruiting process at the company? 21. Is this an expansion or replacement position? 22. What type of feedback will I be getting from my manager? 23. Whom will I be reporting to? 24. What is the sales managers background? 25. How would you describe the selling style of the manager? 26. Where do you see this employee being in 1, 3 and 5 years? 27. How would you describe the companys vision? 28. How would you describe the companys core values? 29. How would you describe the people at the company? 30. What do you enjoy about working at the company? 32. What was your experience like during the sales recruitment process when you first joined? 33. Will there be formal training or do you prefer this individual to be self-taught? 34. What advantages does your sales team currently have over the competition? 35. What is the commission structure like? 36. What is the on-target expected earnings? 37. What percentage of sales employees meet their quota? 38. Are there extra bonuses for greatly exceeding quota? 39. Is the company currently coming out with any new products or services in the coming future? 40. How would you describe the current sales force? 41. What type of marketing does the firm currently engage in? 42. Is the marketing helpful to the sales representatives? 43. Do you do in-house marketing recruitment or outsource the job? 44. How does the company obtain its leads? 45. What percentage of leads does the company convert? 46. How would you describe your ideal sales lead? 47. How competitive is the industry right now? 48. What innovations are currently happening in the industry? 49. Will these marketplace changes affect the sales team? 50. If so, how will the changes affect them? In the end Interviewing for a sales job is not about selling yourself, rather its about branding yourself as confident, intelligent and composed. Taking a few of these questions to your next meeting should do the trick. Author: Ken Sundheim is the CEO of KAS Placement Recruiting a sales and marketing executive search firm based out of New York City. He is also a writer for Forbes.

9 Reasons Why Should You Go To Grad School CareerMetis.com

9 Reasons Why Should You Go To Grad School Imagine yourself walking across a stage for the conferring of your master’s degree. The audience claps and cheers, and you can’t stop the smile that’s spreading across your face. You did it! You earned your master’s degree!If that imagined scene fills you with excitement, then you might be a great candidate for grad school. Of course, getting your master’s is not just about having others applaud your success. You will also gain in-depth knowledge and form valuable connections. These benefits can lead to career advancement and increased earnings.evalAhead, you will find nine reasons to consider going back to school. If several of them resonate with you, it might be time to start researching grad programsand submitting applications to your top schools.1) Jumpstart Your CareerevalIf you’re about to graduate with your bachelor’s degree, you may be asking yourself, “What should I do with my life?” Do not be surprised if “Go to grad school!” is the best answer for you .Going straight from a bachelor’s program to a master’s program can be a great choice because you’re already in the college mindset. What are a few more semesters of books and studying at that point?In fact, to encourage you to pursue this path, many schools offer one-year master’s programs that can be tacked onto the end of a bachelor’s program.Once you graduate with both your bachelor’s and your master’s degrees in hand, you will be set to skip over entry-level positions in the workforce. Instead, you may be able to land a mid- to upper-level supervisory or management position right away.2) Advance Your OpportunitiesOf course, if you’re already in the workforce, your reasons for considering grad school might be quite different. For you, one of the best reasons for getting your master’s degree may be that you want to move up in your career.Only about 8% of Americans have master’s degrees. By earning your degree, you will set yourself apart from the other nine-te nths of the population. That credential will look great on your resume and demonstrate to potential employers that you are a well-qualified, highly educated candidate.evalIn some fields, getting a master’s degree is about more than just set yourself apart from other candidates. It is absolutely essential for career advancement. To become a librarian, you must first get a master’s degree in library science.Nurse practitioners must, at a minimum, hold a Master of Science in Nursing. To take the exam to become a certified public accountant, you have to log many credit hours, which can be earned in a master’s program. In these fields and many others, without a master’s, you’re relegating yourself to a lifetime of assistant-level positions.3) Chart a New CourseInstead of advancing along your current career path, are you ready to switch to something new? Earning a master’s degree may be the ticket to getting started in a different field.For example, working as an elementary or secondary teacher requires that you have a teaching certificate. Many master’s in teaching programs offer licensure tracks so that you will be able to earn your teaching credentials for the first time.evalNot every new path has to involve a major leap. Instead, your master’s program may allow you to just tweak your focus a bit. If you’re currently a social worker, you might want to pursue a human services master’s degree so that you can coordinate beneficial programs instead of working one-on-one with clients. You could also jump from business to public relations, accounting to finance, or manufacturing to supply chain management.4) Pursue Your PassionsHopefully, you chose your field of study because it was something that you loved. A master’s degree program will allow you to delve even deeper into your chosen discipline. For several semesters, you can surround yourself with scholarly articles and rich teaching on topics that are important to you. You will also have oppor tunities to talk with like-minded classmates, conduct research, complete projects or even serve internships in your area of interest.Many schools offer concentrations for their master’s degrees. Choosing an area of specialization allows you to take classes that go right along with your field of interest. Even if your program does not offer concentrations, you may be able to select electives that appeal to you. Choosing the right classes may increase your engagement with the program, and it can also ensure that you will gain valuable insight that is directly applicable to your career path.eval5) Gain Networking OpportunitiesClassroom learning is an essential component of the grad school experience, but it shouldn’t be your only takeaway. During your master’s program, you will have many opportunities to network with others in your field. These connections can make a positive difference in your career for years to come.Networking opportunities in grad school include:Student organ izationsYou can join student associations that are schoolwide or specific to your area of study. Even online programs often offer the opportunity to join on-campus or digital student groups.Faculty connectionsMake good use of faculty office hours. It is important to communicate with your professors, ask for their insight and put their advice into practice.Internship experiencesWhether a short-term practicum or a year-long accumulation of clinical hours, the hands-on portions of your studies can be invaluable for getting to know people in the field.Fellow studentsEspecially if your program is geared toward working professionals, your classmates may have valuable connections that they will share with you.Professional organizationsJoin industry-wide organizations for access to conferences, newsletters and more. Many groups offer discounted rates for students.6) Stay at the Forefront of Your FieldIn a world of increasing technology and globalization, industries can change quickly. Going back to school can help you stay up-to-date on the latest developments in your field. You will learn about new theories and technologies, and that knowledge will make you a valuable employee.It may also give you an edge when it comes to job security. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, master’s holders have lower unemployment ratesthan people with bachelor’s degrees. The advanced, cutting-edge knowledge that a master’s program provides may help you hold onto your position when others in your company are losing their jobs.7) Prepare for a DoctorateDo you have your sights set on a Ph.D. or another doctoral degree? Earning your master’s can help you get there. Not all doctoral programs require you to first get a master’s degree, but many do.A master’s program will also provide a taste of grad school so you can get a feel for what it’s like. After completing your first graduate degree, you will have a better idea of whether you want to keep going with your education.8) B oost Your ConfidenceevalBig accomplishments feel great. When you graduate from your master’s program, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you worked hard and accomplished something amazing. That boost of confidence may give you the courage to apply for your dream job, open your own business or work toward another goal.Keep in mind that, although it’s great to pursue a master’s for personal satisfaction, you should not do it just to make others happy. Master’s programs require a major investment of time and money. Before beginning, carefully consider whether further education is what you really want or if you’re doing it just to please others.9) Increase Your Earning PotentialFinally, it can’t be denied that one of the top reasons to pursue a master’s degree is so that you can make more money. Yes, a master’s program can be expensive, but the ROI may be worth it in the long run.For example, in the computer science industry, you may earn $14,172 moreeach yea r with a master’s than you would with a bachelor’s degree. In business administration, your master’s degree could net you an additional $27,447 per year.Plus, scholarships, grants, and fellowships can help offset your tuition costs. With these types of financial aid lowering your initial investment, you will be able to fully enjoy your increased earnings in years to come.evalIs Grad School Right for You?No doubt about it, grad school can be tough. You can expect to spend a lot of time, effort and brainpower earning your degree. But if going to school is what you really want, you will likely find that the investment is worth it.What are your reasons for going back to school? Are you looking for a jumpstart in your career, a shift in focus or a higher paying salary? Perhaps you’re hoping to strengthen your network or gain cutting-edge knowledge and skills. If those are your goals, grad school may be the best way to achieve them.To make the final decision about whether you shou ld go back to school, spend time researching master’s programs. Once you find one whose faculty, curriculum and format fill you with excitement and anticipation, you will know you’re on the right path.

LinkedIn, online branding, and federal employment - my new favorite topics - Sterling Career Concepts

LinkedIn, online branding, and federal employment - my new favorite topics LinkedIn, online branding, and federal employment my new favorite topics Having just returned from Career Directors InternationalsCareer Empowerment Summit ’09 in Orlando, FL, I’m excited to share with you some of the conference’s top takeaways: Federal employment opportunities are plentiful â€" with more than 31,000 opening as of late last week and contrary to public perception â€" the government does hire qualified candidates from the private sector according toBarbara Adamsof CareerPro Global. A profile on LinkedIn is no longer optional for professionals, according to Jason Alba of JibberJobber.com. The business networking site has become the go-to database of passive jobseekers for executive recruiters. Your profile should complement your resume, but not be a duplicate. LinkedIn is just the beginning. In today’s employment market, professionals need to have a comprehensive online presence and personal brand, according to Barbara Safaniof Career Solvers. This can include online profiles, business networking sites, and social networking sites, and social bookmarking sites. There are four types of online identities â€" according to Louise Kursmarkof Best Impression Career Services â€" none, bad, haphazard, or strategic, the first three of which are not an option. A strategic online presence is the only smart option for professionals with a consistent on-point branding that builds your credibility and professional reputation. A period of self-employment, time with a family-run business, or a run as an entrepreneur is not a bad thing on your resume, according to Laura DeCarlo of Career Directors International. Accentuate the accomplishments during the time that correlate back to corporate America â€" Did you secure seed money? Did you draft the business plan? Did you brand the business? “Cross the bridge” to the employer by describing your experience in ways that reflect value to the employer. I’ll address other points from the Summit in future posts, but I was excited to share these top takeaways with you today. If you’d like help with anything related to the above points â€" be it applying for federal jobs, developing a LinkedIn profile, flushing out your online professional presence, let us know. We’re here to put our knowledge to work for you. Attending the CDI’s Summit shows our commitment to your job search needs.

Career Corner Career Transition Survival Tip #1 - Hallie Crawford

Career Corner Career Transition Survival Tip #1 Sometimes were so busy taking care of business that we forget to take care of ourselves. Yet, if youre amidst a major career change, there is nothing more important than listening to your Inner Voice and tending to all the little things your body, mind and soul is asking for and needs. Here are some great ways to nourish your whole self and stay balanced while successfully navigating through your career change. 1. Keep a career journal. Career coaches like myself frequently recommend journaling as a way to manage your career transition while keeping a healthy perspective. Devote at least one night per week to writing down your thoughts about your transition, recording milestones in the process, and letting go of emotions by putting pen to paper. Write whenever you feel inspired even if its every night. Your journaling tool could be a plain notebook, diary, scrapbook of writing entries and mementos, or even an online blog where you invite others in a similar situation to ponder your musings and offer their opinions or share stories. Every so often, go back and read your previous journal entries to remind yourself of where youre going and where youve been, in terms of the career you envision for yourself. You will most likely be pleasantly surprised at the progress youve made! Heres to having a career you love, for Singles

Tips to Market Yourself As a Resume Writer

Tips to Market Yourself As a Resume WriterResume-writing consulting services are one of the most sought after career services in today's technological society. They promise to help job seekers get hired for the perfect position in the company and with the said job, you can look forward to rising in the ranks of your chosen field. It is indeed an exciting thing to follow your dreams and goals by starting a new life as a professional. However, if you're uncertain about how to go about it, here are some tips that may come in handy.First of all, it's very important to keep in mind the fact that most of the people who are interested in becoming career consultants will be the ones who are looking for jobs. Since job hunting is one of the most important tasks you'll have to perform, you have to invest in resumes that will grab the attention of the hiring managers. The importance of marketing your resume-writing-consulting career has been greatly increased with the advent of online resume wr iting services.One can attest that one of the most effective ways to market your resume to recruiters is to sell yourself. That way, you'll be able to maximize the potential for your resume, as recruiters will definitely read your resume if you know how to market yourself well.So, what are the things that you need to include in your resume to prove yourself worthy of being hired? In other words, what aspects can you talk about so that you will surely attract the attention of the hiring manager?One of the best and easiest ways to do this is to talk about your skills and abilities, which will be most likely disclosed in the interview. If you're hiring in a field like a computer engineer, then you can talk about your practical knowledge about programming languages and the things you've done on your own time as a programmer.Marketing yourself doesn't end at your resume. You also have to be able to market yourself in every way possible. You have to be confident enough in your abilities t o show what the recruiter can't see - your perseverance in your pursuit of the dream job.Remember that a resume is only a means to advertise you. If you want to secure a job in a field that you want, you must prepare well. In order to make your resume appear better, you should include all the necessary elements mentioned above.

Why Your Boss is Working Harder to Keep You Happy

Why Your Boss is Working Harder to Keep You Happy Boss brought in cupcakes for no particular reason? Sweet. Even sweeter? You might be seeing more morale boosters at work these days, whether in the form of baked goods or bonuses. A new survey finds that employers are having a tough time attracting and retaining top talentâ€"and with a little smart negotiating, that could mean good things for your career. According to the new Towers Watson Global Talent Management and Rewards Survey, hiring and turnover are on the rise in offices around the world, including in the U.S. And mobility has its downsides. Of 1,637 companies surveyed worldwide, nearly two-thirds report difficulty attracting top performers (65%) and high-potential employees (64%), an increase from two years ago. More than half of employers surveyed say it is hard to hold on to high-potential employees (56%) and top performers (54%). Pay to Stay Of course, one approach to getting workers to stick around is to offer them more money. And employers know that. “The survey data would indicate that they understand compensation is an important retention driver,” says Laura Sejen, managing director at Towers Watson. Just last week, a survey by a major business group found that employers are starting to expand payrolls and raise wages. After years of decline, sign-on bonus programs are at an all-time high, and retention bonuses are surging, according to an analysis of bonus programs and practices by WorldatWork released in June. Of the businesses WorldatWork surveyed, 74% used sign-on bonus programs this year and 51% used retention bonus programs this year. What Money Can’t Buy So how come bosses still can’t figure out how to hold on to their best workers? Another new Towers Watson survey suggests they’re a little out of touch when it comes to judging the importance of other factors, such as perceived job security and confidence in senior management. In a separate survey, the Towers Watson Global Workforce Study of 32,000 employees worldwide, the group found that employees rank job security and confidence in senior leadership among the most important reasons they stay with a company. But employers didn’t rank either factor as a key attraction or retention driver. “Those are really important to employees,” says Sejen. “Employers don’t necessarily rank those as highly as they should.” To get a better sense of what it takes to keep employees enthusiastic, some bosses are trying to listen more closely, says Rose Stanley, a Total Rewards practice leader for WorldatWork. “A lot of organizations will do satisfaction or engagement surveys,” says Stanley. They’ll even conduct “stay interviews” (as opposed to exit interviews) to pick employees’ brains about how their rewards packages, schedule flexibility, and work environment could be improved to inspire them to stay. “It’s a way to connect with employees and figure out what’s going on,” says Stanley. How You Can Leverage the News Even if your employer hasn’t reached out to you yet, come up with your own requests. If you’ve been craving a more flexible schedule or higher pay, now could be the right time to ask, says career consultant Maggie Mistal. Mistal has noticed that many employees have lingering anxiety from the financial crisis and fail to realize their own worth to their employers. “Some folks I work with are in a mindset of ‘I’m just lucky to have a job,’ when in reality they’re the people bosses want to hold on to,” she says. To improve your own situation, Mistal advises, first figure out what would improve your job and make you likelier to stick with your company. Once you have a good idea of your goals, let your boss know you’d like to talk. “The magic term is: ‘I’d like to get your feedback on some ideas,’” says Mistal. “Managers are willingâ€"and a lot of them are even excitedâ€"to have that conversation.” Open your discussion with gratitude, emphasizing how much you enjoy working at your company or with your boss, advises career coach Roy L. Cohen. Then make your request clearly, with a positive angle. If you’d like to telecommute two days a week, for instance, highlight that a more flexible schedule could make you more productive. “Focus on how you’re helping the company achieve even greater success,” says Cohen. Instead of making an ultimatum, stay open to feedback from your boss, Mistal advises. If your boss isn’t sold on the idea of telecommuting, offer to check in periodically throughout the day, or to give your flexible schedule a two-week test run. But don’t demand too much all at once. Even in an environment where your boss is working harder to hold on to great employees like you, you don’t want to come off as smug. “Never be greedy,” says Cohen. “Greediness is always remembered. Even if you feel you’re worth it, make sure you can back up your request.”

The Scientific Job Search or Phun With Fysics Round II - Work It Daily

The Scientific Job Search or Phun With Fysics Round II - Work It Daily A few weeks ago I wrote an article, What Does Quantum Physics Have to Do with Interviews? From my perspective, it was just supposed to be a fun piece, meant to make a point and to put a smile on the reader’s face. Turns out, people actually liked it and so, let me make one more go at it: Thought Experiments How did Einstein figure out what happens at near the speed of light, or that your perspective of what is happening on a moving train (with a bouncing ping-pong ball, for example) depends on where you are located? He thought about it. He literally saw it in his mind’s eye. You can do it too! It's a known fact that if you see something in your mind’s eye before you do it, you have a increased chance of success. So, do your own thought experiment before an interview. Play it out in your mind’s eye and you should have the confidence to make your dream a reality - have a successful interview and get the job. The “Uncertainty Principle” In quantum mechanics you cannot know both the velocity and position of a particle. The reason is that the act of measuring one will change the other. So, if you measure the speed of a particle, its position will change and vice versa. With a job search, you can’t focus on two things at once. There’s a process. The cover letter gets the recipient to read the resume. The resume gets the recipient to invite the candidate for an interview. The interview gets you the job offer. The negotiations seal the offer. If you summarize your resume in your cover letter, that defeats the purpose of both. If you focus in an interview on the negotiations, you’ll never get the offer because the interviewer will think you are only interested in the benefits and not the actual work. Which leads to… Matrix Mathematics We all know that A x B = B x A. But not with matrix mathematics. In matrix mathematics, A times B does not necessarily equal B times A. So here’s a career search equation for you: E = c + r X i E ? (c + r) i E is employment. C is the cover letter. R is the resume. I is the interview. As I just noted, if you write a good cover letter and resume, and have a good interview, you’ll get the job. However, if you combine the cover letter and the resume into one document, you’ll never get the interview. (I would say that (c + r) = 0, so since anything times 0 is 0, i times 0 is 0 so no interview, but why should I have mathematicians mad at me too? Physicists are enough!) The “Copenhagen Interpretation” Finally we come to my favorite. You can imagine something in the quantum world, but as soon as you observe or measure it, it becomes a reality and therefore it changes from what it is in the “imagined” world to a definitive reality. For example, light is both a particle and a wave. If you run one type of experiment it acts like a particle; run a different experiment, it’s a wave. Both are correct yet they cannot be simultaneous. It’s one or the other. Similarly, you can’t make yourself out to be more than one thing. The classic example is the person who is applying for a sales position and is asked about marketing. She thinks the right thing to say is, “I love marketing; I’m great at it.” In fact the correct answer is, “I know marketing, but I’m a sales person. I can help with marketing, I’m a team player, but my expertise and passion are in sales.” If an employer is looking for a sales person, she doesn’t need a sales person who is going to want to do marketing. She wants someone who is focused. In the real world, you can’t be two different people at once. Same thing for having multiple resumes. Sooner or later, an employer will see two different resumes, will not know which to believe, will think you are either lying or unfocused, and will reject you. A “Jack of all trades, master of none,” is more often than not, unemployed. And so ends my journey into physics. Scientific job search image from Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!