The Management Process of achieving a goal

Set an achievable SMART goal:

S =Specific goal; M =Measurable goal; A =Achievable goal; R =Realistic goal and T =time-based goal

• Make a plan to achieve your goal based on the resources you have:People, time, money and community (time-place and means)
• Carry out your plan for reaching your goal .
• Evaluate what happened in Steps I, 2 and 3:In order to learn from your experience. Use the lessons learnt to improve. Review to perfect the methods of achieving.

Seven steps

1. State who, where and what you what to become.

Define accurately who you want to be described as, what will occupy your life for a living, and where in the hierarchy of the position of the occupation you want to be. This will help you to begin to feel the end of the goal. The goal may be academic, financial, marriage, family, career or anything you set to achieve. See yourself in terms of what you will do to contribute towards achievement of what, who and where you want to be. Focus on what you want to be rather than what you are now or presently.

2. State the time when you want to become who, where and what?

This will set in your mind the power of speed at which the mind and the body will work together towards the achievement of who, what and where you want to be. The brain works better when it is given a time frame in which it has to accomplish its work. Time is a rate of movement in a space at 60 seconds per minute, or 60 minutes per hour, or 24 hours per day, or 7 days per week, or 30 days per month, or 52 weeks per year, or 12 months per year, etc. Therefore, what rate do you want to set yourself to ‘move’ in a space of time to achieve what you want? Choose the rate, and the brain (the mind and the body) will give you the speed of actions or activities that will lead to achievement of your goal.

3. List ten possible hindrances that can stop you to become who, where and what and when.

You will need to be aware of the obstacles and terrain of the way to the goal. The brain works better if it knows what to avoid in the course of its duty of programming the functions for the mind and the body.

4. List ten persons, places and means that can help you overcome the above hindrances.

Remember that most solutions are found in persons, places and by certain means which you have to know and use. That is, establish help-lines for yourself. Ask the question, ‘Who is likely to help me to do what it takes to achieve the set goal? Start with those that you know quite well; such as your relatives, friends, neighbours, and all the friends of all these people. It is important that you will plan the logistics of how you will go about reaching them and asking (requesting) them to assist you with whatever you will want to do to achieve your goal.

5. Make a timetable of tasks with allocated time up to the end of the set goal.

Cluster activities that can be accomplished within a set period of time. This is called short term target planning. Accumulatively, these targets will add up to the achievement of the whole main goal. As you achieve these small short-term targets (mini-goals), you will be encouraged and ready to build up your confidence to push through up to the end to achieve your set goal.

6. Identify relevant skills that will make you succeed in achieving the goal.

Check if you need to train or be trained in these skills in order to perform effectively and efficiently to achieve the set goal. You will need to produce results that are for achieving the goal and nothing else. This will need your applied knowledge and proven success methods that will lead to expected achievement of your goal.

7. Lastly, list ten benefits of the set goal if achieved.

This will give you the will to do what it takes to achieve by all means and at whatever costs. So long as these benefits outweigh the cost and the risks of the in-put sacrifice, you will be prepared to do and go all the way to achieve the set goal. Remember that all living things can do anything that is rewarding and contributive to self-preservation. Anything rewardable ends up being done. Cover all outcomes that will lead to your self-gratification and self-esteem. The mind and the body respond to expected benefits willingly and sacrificially. After you have achieved this goal, do not stagnate in and with it. Convert it into a means to another goal. Let it be a stepping stone for a bigger goal achievement.

Be definite about what you want. Write your goals down and use as much detail as possible. Make them firm… for the moment. You will find as you achieve certain things that some goals will have to change, and that’s fine. Just don’t go around changing your mind every time the wind changes or you won’t know which way is up. Set as many goals as you like, and include among them – what you’d like to be doing, where you’d like to go, what you want for your family, what kind of person you’d like to be, how much you’d like to be earning, your net worth, your health, personality, education and spiritual growth. Keep your daily goals confined to activities, which will lead to accomplishment of your long-term goals. Don’t be afraid to set goals. Mistakes can be corrected but doing nothing cannot be corrected.

• Lack of knowledge of field of specialization not well qualified.
• Inability to express himself/herself clearly and loses temper easily.
• Insufficient evidence of achievement or capacity to excite action in others.
• Not prepared for the interview-no research on the company.
• No real interest in the organization or the industry-merely shopping around.
• Narrow location interest– unwilling to relocate later.
• Little interest and enthusiasm– indifferent.
• Overbearing– overaggressive–conceited
• Interested only in best money offer.
• Asks no or poor questions about the job.
• Unwilling to start at the bottom–expects too much too soon.
• Makes excuses, evasiveness, and hedges on unfavourable factors in record.
• No confidence and pose–fails to look interviewers in eyes
• Poor personal appearance

And the best way to do that is to expand your network of professional contacts. “Networking for a job change or to get off unemployment is nearly essential, since people — not computers — hire other people,” says Matt Noah, CEO of Chanhassen, MN-based, NetSuds.com, a firm that helps professionals build and enhance their network of contacts. Here are 5 ways you can network better and find your next job faster .

1) Attend industry events

No matter what you do, there’s probably a regular event of some kind where potential employers in your industry gather. Identify events or venues that will most likely help your job search, then go there! “Typically, the more focused the event, the better,” says Noah. “If you are a plumber, don’t go to an electrician’s trade show, for example. And size matters — events are popular and well-attended if they provide value to the people in attendance.” So, attend well-focused, popular events. You can find them advertised in trade journals, the business section of the Sunday paper, or search for them online at www.google.com

2) Join a job club

These aren’t very high-tech or exciting. Just plain effective. In a good job club, you’ll meet weekly or monthly with 10-30 other people to share leads provide support and practice such skills as interviewing and negotiating for salary. Job clubs are usually free; so don’t fret about membership costs.

You’ll find job clubs all around you. Contact your local library, church, community groups and state employment agency for help in contacting one or more that suit your needs.

If your city publishes a free employment weekly newspaper, be sure to check the announcements section to find job clubs; you may also find them listed in your phone book.

3) Perfect your pitch

No matter how you network, you’ll eventually have to tell people what kind of job you’re after. So develop a 20-30-second “pitch,” describing who you are and what you do. Focus on your unique combination of specific skills, knowledge and experience.

Example pitch: “I’m a tech support professional with five years of helpdesk experience. I’ve encountered and solved just about every problem imaginable. Before that, I completed officer’s training as an ROTC student while earning my Masters degree.

This gives me a broader range of technical, leadership and problem-solving skills than most folks.” According to marketing expert Larry Chase at www.larrychase.com, “I find people appreciate it when you can deliver your pitch in less time than they anticipated. It telegraphs that you are clearly focused and waste no time getting to the point.”

4) Leverage your personal network

This is still the most effective (and under-used) job search technique, in my view.If your network is smaller than you’d like, think of it as a yeast cell, with the power to expand from its tiny origin until it produces something wonderful. In this case, a new job!

Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a job. Call or e-mail every single person in your address book. Now, here’s the magic question — at the end of every conversation, ask: “Do you know anyone else I should be talking to?” This is how you expand your network by leaps and bounds! If everyone you talk to gives you two more names, and those people give you two more names, your network will explode like crabgrass in July — try it and see! Eventually, someone should be able to put you in touch with a decision maker who can hire you. Even former employers can help. If you parted on good terms with your last boss, he or she might be able to refer you to hiring managers in other companies.

5) Network with other job hunters

Many cities have job clubs or support groups where people can meet, network and share tips. Don’t forget the Internet — there are loads of great Web sites with message boards and chat rooms devoted to networking.

Definition:

An interview is a face to face discussion in which information is obtained from one person or more others. It is a form of interaction based primarily on asking and answering questions: Interviews may be conducted by individuals or by panels.

Interviews are used for selection, information gathering, counseling, discipline, settling, interrogation by reporters, on radio, TV, doctors and employers.

Having a good understanding of the job interview process is essential because people are rarely hired without an interview . The purpose of the interview is to exchange information to determine if there is a match between you and the job opening.

The key to successful interviewing is thorough preparation. You need to be able to tell the interviewer about your specific job objective, in other words, what you want to do and why you think you can do it. Next you need to research on the employer and know as much as possible about the organization before your interview– this is very important.

THE INTERVIEWER

It might be interesting to begin from the awareness of what the interviewers do when they usually carry out the work of an interview . This will help the interviewee know what to expect.

To interview effectively, the interviewers must get each of the following aspects right.

• Preparation
• The introduction
• Questioning
• Dealing with replies
• The conclusion
• Evaluation and action

Preparation

Why? Clarify aims and objectives

Who? Decide whom to interview

How? Ensure good administration

So what? Prepare the panel members.

Prepared panel

Usually the panel learn about so much about the interviewee from the papers presented through

• Letters of applications
• CV/resume
• Letters of recommendation
• Certificates
• Samples of work either through slides or written reports.

From these the panel makes notes about

• Fruitful lines of questioning
• Principal lines of inquiry
• Gaps in the knowledge and doubts to be confirmed.
• Clarifications to be done on certain information.
• etc.

Usually after this, a candidate is short-listed to an interview

NOTE: The interviewee has this information i.e. similar papers and copies of the originals. He must study them thoroughly to explain the details from personnel specifications or from job (description) specification. He must have information at his finger tips by going through the CV and letter of application, certificates and any other materials presented for the job application. The interviewer is usually called to find out the details, verification and confirmation of the known from these documents.

Introduction

1. To set a good rapport between an interviewee and the panel.

2. To make the interviewee to relax.

Note: You who is going to be interviewed must breath in deep and breathe out slowly and psyche your mind that you are going to make it. Smile and firm handshake may help if this is allowed. Make sure you respond to any move to make you feel at home quickly and with zest. The panel will try to help you do this. Be easy to entreat. Study the body and mood of the panel and adjust accordingly.

Setting the scene

The questions now will be for checking what the interviewee knows; the clearing up any misunderstandings and providing the information that will help the interviewee marshal later answers to his/her advantage.

At this stage the interviewer will do more talking. He might use visual aids, organization charts, job descriptions, appraisal paperwork, product brochures etc. to make the scene carefully clear to the interviewee.

QUESTIONING

Most times the information from the interviewee is gathered through sound structure arrangements.

The structure

(a) Paper (Document) based: Questions based on paperwork completed by interviewee before the interview. Sometimes, based on a CV or completed application form.

(b) Sequence based This allows the interviewer to follow the date-structure as outlined in the CV year by year. [You who is going to be interviewed must be able to fill in information about Grades of qualification, and awards (follow the 6W1H technique of answering!). So in every year date accomplishment on CV, they will ask you to demonstrate how you can apply in the situation of the organization using the historical exposure.

(c) Objective -based There are two categories of objectives: The personnel specification oriented questions and the job -description oriented questions. The panel is composed of the personnel and job -specifications experts. Most of these have objective questions which they have to ask and need satisfactory answers.

(d) Open ended: Sometimes, the interviewee may be the only expert and none of the interviewers may know anything or very little about the subject. So the questions asked will be open-ended like: “Let me be frank with you from the start. Chemical engineering is something I have heard of, but know absolutely nothing about. It would help me if you could start by explaining what it is and how it works, and then how your own job fits in with others in the division?”

Open questions are broad-based questions that ask the interviewee to provide whatever information he/she wishes to give as answers to the questions.

You who is going to be interviewed must follow 6W1H technique to satisfy the panel of your expertise. These questions in this category (open-ended) offer the interviewee a wide scope in framing his answers. They begin with questions as “Tell me about ……..e.g.. ‘what can you tell me about yourself?.’ “Why” and “How” for example: “Tell me about your time in Egerton University “.

“Why have you decided to change your job?” “How do you prepare a balance sheet?”

And those that give some direction, such as…’what do you believe has prepared you for this job? ‘

Such questions are given to make initial exploration of the whole of interviewee.

Why do interviewers ask open-ended questions? Mostly to encourage the person to talk, allowing the interviewer an opportunity to listen and to observe.

Through the open questions the interviewer finds out about:

• the person’s perspectives
• Values
• goals
• articulation of the expression
• the orderly and logical way of reasoning

Note: The open questions take time to answer. Be careful to keep on the purpose of the question. Peg your questions on specifics.

(e) Closed questions:- These questions call for precise, and definite information. These are questions of 6W1H. E.g. ‘Who is the Minister and Permanent Secretary of Education?’ What and why are the national colours of Kenya ?

They are made to help the panel to establish facts about the knowledge of the interviewee. (You who is going to be interviewed must be vast in general knowledge of political, commercial , International news and even spiritual knowledge). Sometimes it might be useful for the interviewee to expand a little bit on short-answers.

E.g. “No! … , but the reason why, what, when, etc.’

(f) Hypothetical questions: Questions asked in this category are to let the interviewee predict the experiences, conditions and events using the theories and principles of a certain knowledge.

E.g. If you were in the similar situation, with your experience, how would you react?

They are made to explore aspects of the personality for which the CV offers no evidence. They test creativity and problem-solving skills.

(g) Multile questions These have two or more parts to the question. E.g. ‘Why did you decide to sell at that time, and who decided for you, and do you feel you would do the same another time?’

(Be careful to answer all questions inclusively one by one. Name them one, two, three etc. It is good to paraphrase the question before you answer the question in details.)

Dealing with replies

It is never enough for the panel to only ask good questions. The panel must also: Listen, evaluate, modify their approach, and take notes. You also as an interviewee, must learn to listen actively. Use smiles, gestures and nods. Use words like ‘yes’, ‘all right’, or ‘really’ etc. These are also some of the skills used by the interviewers. Maintain eye contact all the time to the one asking the question.

Be prepared to know yourself better. A serious appraisal of your life is essential to getting what you want. If you need to get to City of Nairobi by Friday, you’ve got to know where from you’re starting. A serious self-appraisal may take weeks to complete. Ask yourself these questions and answer them as honestly as possible:

• How well educated are you in the things you would like to know?
• How much effort do you put into each aspect of your life?
• What are your best and worst points?
• How do you choose your friends, your home, your job and your hobbies?
• How do you treat your friends, family and strangers?
• How deep is your personal spirituality?
• You have hundreds and hundreds of special traits, but how well developed is each of them?
• Which of your traits are the worst?
• What have you accomplished over the past twenty, ten, five, and two and in one year? In the past month? The past week? Today?
• Who have you hurt?
• Who deserves better than what you’ve given them?
• And most important, how close are you now to where you hoped you’d be when you looked ahead a year ago, five years ago, or even as a child?

Be prepared to cry a little as you make this appraisal of your life. Humans are far from perfect, and even the minor goals we set for ourselves are not achieved, and it can hurt to see exactly where you are. Draw upon every bit of serenity you have when making this appraisal, and always keep in mind you are on a fact-finding, not a fault-finding mission. Whether your strengths match evenly with your weaknesses on paper is not important. What you want is a written record of who and what you are in as great a depth as possible, a blueprint of your house which you can use as a base for improvement.

Great people in every field start with such a deep analysis and revise it yearly to chart their progress, and the time and emotion spent in such an appraisal will be chicken feed compared to the value you will receive from it. Do it together with a friend or a close relative to help you analyze yourself. You may use an experienced pastor or a counselor.

SECOND :

Make a special report based on your self-appraisal and include in the report everything you ever did which you didn’t think you could do. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL! It will provide you with enormous inspiration when faced with a problem you don’t think you can overcome. These are not only real-life success stories, they are your success stories, and positive proofs that there’s more in you than you might think. These experiences are the batteries you’ll use to power the shovels, which will move mountains in the future. Remember, even an almost-dead battery will start a car. Have this report in writing and keep it with your personal analysis, and make a copy in case you lose it. This will be a vital document in times to come.

THIRD :

Decide where you want to go in future. Most people fail because they don’t set goals worthy of themselves. If they do, they do not live each day in pursuit of these goals.

When you set your goals, make them better than you’ve done before, but make them achievable. In other words, if it is at all possible that you or someone like you could achieve the goal, it is worthy it. But don’t set them too low either, or you’ll be breezing through life, bored and unchallenged. Set goals for each day, for the next week, month, year, two years, five years, twenty years, fifty years (regardless of your age).

The next step takes no real effort, and strangely enough, it is the most difficult step for the average person to take.

FOURTH:

Commit yourself to making quality decision to achieve those goals, to strive for the things you want, which will make your life and yourself all that much better. Make that commitment from the heart, not at the lips! It will take time to really feel that commitment, and regularly reviewing the goals you’ve written down will make it possible to truly feel that commitment. You’ll go through agonies at first and wonder if any of this is really worth it, and that’s the point most people give up. Remember that repetition is the mother of learning and of getting committed. Remember this and you’ll look forward to that agony. Every change comes with pain. It hurts to be born, to fall in love, to pass an exam, run a marathon. Once you start feeling that pain, know it for what it is – your old self-screaming for life. To let your old self win is to let you lose! Always postpone self-gratification up to the later end. It takes pain to do so initially but that is the way nature has it.

Once you pass through that barrier of pain between what you are and what you want, you will know what it is worth every bit of discomfort. It is what is in for you that fires your will to keep on moving on despite the pain and stumbling blocks on the way of change for the better. You’ve been through it before, and you’ll need the memory of past incidents where you’ve made it to help you get through it.

You’ll need the support of others, too. You need to influence them to help you through the journey of success. So you’ll have to consider the people with whom you spend most of your time and space. If they are not as interested in improving themselves as you are, it’s time to expand your circle of friends to include those people, and make them the best you could want. Make your friends have inspiration to want to help you in your quest for a better life. You may share the immediate benefits with them. Remember that only what is rewarded is what is done and done with pleasure. Reward people that contribute to your success. Never be selfish. Once people notice you are selfish, they will move away from you very fast or later.

The final step is so simple and so tough; it literally separates the men from the boys who will never grow up. It means sacrificing immediate pleasure for real satisfaction down the road; so if you’re not ready to make the trade, go back two paces.

FIFTH:

spend every moment of your life in the most effective, efficient way possible in the pursuit of your goals. You’ll never be able to do this as well as you will want to, but that’s fine. Nobody spends all their time as effectively as humanly possible. The degree to which you can tune your desire to the things you want and discipline yourself to do the things that lead to getting them – will determine how successful you will be. Persistence breaks the seeming barriers.

Regardless of how weak you are now, you can and you will increase the value of your time and activities and garner more happiness than you might think fair, only if you’ll keep your failures in perspective. Think of them as lessons and gain something from them. Always remember to drop the details of experience and pick the lessons learned through them to help you move forward to your goals. Use your successes as a well of strength on which you can draw when you’re ready to quit. Winners never quit and Quitters never win.

Remember this, don’t spend your lifetime fighting to change or move the obstacles (mountains), if they can’t move, go round them and move on and leave them behind. You have such little time to live in this competitive world that you can’t afford any precious time fighting hindrances.

If you follow these simple secrets of life you will get what you want out of life. It has been proven time and time again by great men down the history, and centuries from now. The words may change, but the ideas will be the same. The methodologies usually change with time and place but principles never change. Always, learn the principles and apply your appropriate methods of the time and place to achieve the expected . This is wisdom!

For centuries men have tried to find ways of making this simple set of principles (guidelines) more complicated and more difficult to understand and follow. Most of them succeeded admirably. Most got what they wanted by doing so. What they really wanted was less than what they set out to achieve. Getting what you truly want is so difficult precisely because it is so simple. Humans are very complex beings and thrive on making things even more complicated. As for you don’t. Life is made of simple principles if you strive to get them and understand them.

It might help to remember that the foundation of every religion, belief, system and philosophy that has worked its way to a culture and taken root is personal happiness and the life instinct of self-preservation. In every case, the two are achieved by reducing things to their simple possible elements. The human mind comprehends and helps to execute the simple concepts. Always, make it simple to achieve! Remember KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid!

Here are the five mistakes that ruin most r

Car-park attendants, Security guards, commissioners,

Secretaries, messengers, and other staff

All these will have an impression of you, and may put some input to the decision. You never underestimate anybody at the place of interview. Be courteous and polite. Don’t be over relaxed, or over nervous. Be prepared psychologically, physically and emotionally.

Once in the interview room, it is crucial to get to a good start.

Those first few minutes could be the most critical, since strong impressions can be formed in the first few seconds. For this reason, realize the importance of external items and mannerisms. How you enter the room, your clothes and accessories, the way you shake hands and your voice tone all create an impression. If it’s unfavorable, you’ll spend the rest of the interview trying to improve it. If you make a good first impression, strive to make it better during the meeting. Usually candidates are judged within the first one or two minutes of an interview.

In short, check on the following:

• How you walk across the interview room.
• How you shake people’s hands in greetings. How strong is it? A man’s should be strong whereas a lady’s should be softer and gentle.
• How you sit down on the chair matters
• How you manage the files and arrange out certificates to the panel members. Your briefcase must be arranged neatly. Even the way you dress necktie, belt or shirtsleeves matter a lot to indicate whether you are slovenly or lazy.

Remember to enter the interview room confidently not brashly, with a pleasant smile (imagine you know somebody in the panel to prompt a friendly response in your facial expression). Respond to a handshake firmly, wait until you are invited to sit, and remain quiet but alert to the opening moves by the interviewer. As soon as the leader of the panel speaks and introduces the panel, adjust your attention to him/her and maintain a pleasant eye contact.

Weigh up the Interviewers

Establish a good ‘chemistry’ between you and the interviewer.

This impression is important to note. If the chemistry is not right you always know. Be a discerner of times, places and means. Listen to yourself as you assess holistically about the team of the panel. Do something to adjust yourself to their mood of rapport. This is the hardest moment for you. One team may not favour argumentative reasoning; another may prefer intellectual reasoning rather than religious viewpoints; another may prefer humility and neatness of the interviewee and so on. This you will find out by intuition and careful response to the spirit of the prevailing mood of the panel. With this awareness you will always get your way through the interview!

Listen carefully

Be attentive, discerning and responsive as you listen to every question asked from each interviewer. Hear the form and understand the content (meaning) of the words spoken in every question asked. But respond to the meaning of the question. If not sure, restate the question and then respond after the questioning interviewer confirms it.

• It is good to practice to pause for a few seconds before you respond to all even the simplest questions. This shows that you are reflecting (thinking) about the question and also it psychologically gives the interviewer a feeling that the question posed is wise and worth thinking about.
• Always endeavour to be accurate in answering all the questions. If in doubt, better check by paraphrasing, repeating the question, asking for it to be repeated by requesting politely by saying, ‘Sorry, I did not get the question, kindly repeat out for me please.’

Always in every question asked, seek to understand:-

• the intent of the interviewer’s mind,
• reasoning behind every question,
• the clue for an appropriate answer in the question.

Reply skillfully

We always communicate our ideas in two ways.

Verbally and none-verbally

Apart from listening to the words, good interviewers will watch our unspoken reactions and body language:-

• posture, facial expression
• gesture, indications of tension
• Always convey a sense of:-
• a relaxed alertness, attentive alertness,
• respective posture a friendly responsiveness
• meekness in response agreeable attitude

In general, the answers should:-

• address both the point raised and what we believe to be the reason for it being raised.
• be well structured and logical, beginning with a clear statement, which is then explained or enlarged on.
• be neither too long nor too short. Brief answers should be reserved for simple, purely factual questions but we must also know when to stop.
• be well spoken –clearly, confidently, naturally and with good but not obsessive eye contact. Let respect be in your eyes, particularly for the ladies. And be patient and not easily provoked whatever the question. Comment on the questions positively before answering them, such as … ‘I like that question, because it will help me to explain what I have done with interest in my life in the last five years…’

• Remember, the panel is looking for information from you. Take the least available time and chance to sell yourself. Every question is your prompting outline to sell yourself to the panel.
• Keep within the bounds of your knowledge of the post and organization. Keep within truth only. It is better that you get the job by being truthful and honest than by untruthful means which when discovered later may lead to dismissal.

Ask Good Questions

Ask at least two to four questions related to the organization’s future plans of expansion, seeing yourself associated with that expansion.

Questions Not to Ask

Not only should you know what questions to ask during the interview, but it is important to know what questions not to ask. You don’t want to alienate the recruiter by putting him or her on the defensive.

The following areas should generally be avoided:

1. Avoid asking questions that are answered in the company’s annual report or employment brochure. Recruiters are familiar enough with their own information to recognize when you haven’t done your homework. If some information in the annual report isn’t clear to you, by all means ask for clarification.
2. Don’t bring up salary or benefits in the initial interview. The majority of companies recruiting are very competitive and will offer approximately similar salaries and benefits. The recruiter may choose to bring up the information, but you should not initiate the topic.
3. Avoid asking any personal questions or questions that will put the recruiter on the defensive. This includes questions such as the interviewer’s educational background, marital status, past work experience and so on.
4. Don’t ask questions that have already been answered during the interview. If you have prepared a list of questions and some of them have been addressed during the interview, do not repeat them unless you need clarification.

Questions You Should Ask

Now that you know what you shouldn’t ask during the interview, determine what questions you should ask.

1. Ask specific questions about the position. You need to know what duties will be required of the person in the position to see if there is a fit between your interests and qualifications and the job you seek.
2. Try to find out as much as possible about qualities and skills the recruiter is looking for in job candidates. Once you determine the necessary qualities, you can then explain to the recruiter how your background and capabilities relate to those qualities.
3. Ask questions concerning advancement and promotion paths available. Every company is different and most advancement policies are unique. Try to find out what the possible promotion path is to see if it fits your career goals. You may also want to ask about periodic performance evaluations.
4. It is appropriate to ask specific questions about the company’s training program if this information is not covered in company literature.

Ask questions about location and travel required. If you have limitations, this is the time to find out what is expected in the position.

Finish on a top note

Conclusion of the whole matter is important. If there is no anything else which you need to get any clarification leave the room the way you came in, confidently but not brashly, shaking hands firmly and with a friendly smile if you are offered a hand and if not, just a ‘….thank you for invitation for the interview…’ statement. Then wish them well and leave. Don’t say anything funny. Just leave. Because anything misinterpreted may be used against you.

The Right ‘Thank You’ Letter Can Land You an Offer

The next call was supposed to be an offer, followed by salary negotiation. My candidate for a human-resources job had sailed through three interviews. Her four references had checked out and I’d been assured that she was the top candidate. As the executive recruiter, my income, not to mention my credibility with the client company, was at stake. The call I received instead was a first.

My candidate had followed my instructions to the letter — sort of. She’d sent a follow-up note to each person who had interviewed her. My company contact called and told me that my candidate was out of the running. Her letters were replete with errors and she’d misspelled the name of the company on every one. My candidate didn’t get the job offer because she, the proud possessor of an MBA, had not used her spell checker, nor had she proofread her letters.

Closing the Deal

Thank-you letters following an interview can make or break your candidacy. Your follow-up is not only a matter of courtesy and professionalism, it’s an opportunity to affirm your positive impression on hiring managers. A carefully crafted thank-you note can even re-open a door that was once closed.

David Knowles, an executive recruiter with Excel Unlimited Inc., an executive search firm in Houston , cites the example of the candidate he’d worked with who had received a “no thank you” letter from a prospective employer. The applicant wrote back. He thanked the hiring manager for his time, mentioned some items that had come up in the interview and asked to be considered for future openings. In two months, the manager called him. He’d remembered the candidate and his professionalism.

Some employers look for that “surprise” element in a candidate, according to Mr. Knowles. In many instances, employers will interview a number of candidates who have similar backgrounds. They’ll look for the one who surprises them by showing creativity or asking the right questions. Sending an appropriate follow-up note can also give candidates this edge. “The key is showing enthusiasm and making a statement of interest in the job,” he says.

Making the right impression with a thank-you letter after an interview requires a mix of art and science. To craft an appropriate follow-up, use the following guidelines:

Send an individual follow-up letter within 24 hours of an interview to everyone with whom you’ve met.

Make sure that the letter is written on a computer (not hand-written) and is carefully proofed and spell-checked. Tom Royston, a Western regional recruiting manager for Expanets Inc., a telecommunications company in Valencia , Calif. , recommends that candidates follow up on e-mail. “Everyone reads their e-mail. It’s fast, it’s efficient and it shows your computer friendliness,” he says. Hiring managers’ e-mail addresses are usually on their business cards. If not, ask his or her assistant for it as you leave.

Send a letter even if you’re working with a recruiter. You may wish to run a rough draft of your letter by your recruiter.

Mention specifics from the interview, including ways that you can add to the firm’s bottom-line; ideas for the future; and points of discussion that had arisen during the meeting. Make the letter personal. Form letters are useless and could be considered insulting.

If the interviewer asks you to call at a certain date, do so. But calling doesn’t get you off the hook in writing a follow-up letter. You still need to follow up immediately in writing. You can refer to the forthcoming call: “I look forward to speaking with you on the 26th as we discussed.”

Use the letter to clarify or amplify points that arose in the interview. “In our meeting you mentioned that you were looking for an individual who had the ability to work with all levels. In my position as a sales rep with ABC Publishing, my territory included Arizona and California . In that capacity, I called on a wide variety of clients from beauty college instructors to professors at UCLA.”

Don’t send gifts. They can make the receiver feel obligated and, in some cases, uncomfortable. Chris Remmers, a senior recruiter at Nestle USA Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a Swiss food company in Glendale , Calif. , had a candidate once send him a box of chocolates. “They were chocolates from a competitor! What did that show me? What a faux pas,” he says. Mr. Remmers also recalls with disdain the candidate who sent him a sneaker after an interview. The candidate wanted to remind Mr. Remmers, who then worked at an entertainment company, that he wanted to “get a foot in the door.” The effort backfired.

Types of Letters

No matter how well or poorly your interview goes, you should always write a thank-you note. Generally there are three types of follow-up letters:

1. The “closer.”

You want the job. It has your name on it. The interview went well and you feel you’re a contender. You may even know that the company is checking references. The closer follow-up is the icing on the cake. It’s simple but, as sales pros would say, it “asks for the business.”

“Ms. Hiring Manager,

“I want very much to become a part of the team. I look forward to hearing a positive response from you soon.”

2. The “fix-it.”

“Fix-it” letters are for correcting an impression when you feel you’ve been misunderstood in the interviewing process. They don’t always work, but they’re worth sending. Make sure your “fix-it” letter is positive and in no way criticizes the reader.

Mr. Knowles tells an instructional story about a candidate for a marketing position with a major entertainment company. She blew her interview and she knew it. Sitting in a comfortable chair, she’d become too relaxed and forgot she was in an interview. The company official casually asked why she’d majored in drama. Without thinking, she said, “I always wanted to be a newscaster.” The manager later told Mr. Knowles that her answer signaled to him that she had a “hidden agenda” and that he’d lose her to the “bright lights.”

Mr. Knowles advised her to send a “fix-it” letter. She wrote to the manager, saying that she realized that he may have gotten the wrong impression from her answer and she wanted to set the record straight. She told him that the newscaster idea was one she’d had as an undergraduate, but that her goals had changed. She then enumerated the reasons why she’d be an asset to the company.

The hiring manager agreed to see her for a second interview and later hired her.

3. The “no thank-you.”

You may have been interested in a company and then lost interest. If you’re working with executive recruiters, you need to take their lead as they are, in effect, your agents. If you’ve been to more than one interview, call your primary recruiter contact to inform him or her of your decision. Your letter to the hiring manager should be brief, gracious and to the point. “I appreciate the time you have afforded me during the interview process but I have decided to explore other avenues at this time.” If possible, mention any particular courtesy he or she may have shown, e.g., “I especially enjoyed the tour of the plant.”

You also can follow up with a phone call. But be careful of becoming the type of candidate who some recruiters refer to as “stalkers” — people who call so often that they take themselves out of the running.

Follow-Up Calls

One follow-up phone call is usually appropriate and often appreciated. Sometimes hiring managers are so busy that a quick call from a candidate helps to put the hiring process back on track. A few tips for a follow-up phone call include:

• Make it short and simple.
• It’s OK to leave a brief message on a hiring manager’s voice mail.
• Be positive.
• Call about five days after you’ve sent a follow-up letter.

Ask for the job: “I’m still very excited about the prospect of joining your team. Please let me know if there is any further information I can give you about myself.”

Once you’ve been hired, you have a few more follow-ups. Thank-you notes should go to your recruiter and your references for giving their time during the process. Not only is it courteous, it’s an opportunity to maintain your contacts.

Summary

The dos

• Research organization and job thoroughly
• Anticipate likely questions
• Dress the part
• Plan the logistics
• Get off to a good start
• Weigh up the interviewers
• Listen with care
• Reply confidently not brashly
• Ask good questions
• Think success throughout

The don’ts

• Apply for unsuitable jobs
• Over-dress
• Risk arriving late at the interview place
• Be rude to secretaries, receptionists or others such as security staff
• Assume that the interviewers are skilled and confident
• Offer a flabby handshake
• Answering questions with assumption that you have understood everything asked
• Give very short or very long answers
• Attempt bluffing or deceit
• Let down your guard too soon.

Kenya telephone directories :

The yellow pages in telephone directories list various employers in the yellow pages, with their address and telephone numbers.

Kenya chamber of commerce:

Local chambers will provide a listing of businesses with addresses, phone numbers, and type and size of the businesses

Kenyan Newspapers:

Major national and international newspapers contain job advertisements. It is important to make it a habit to familiarize yourself with career opportunities that are advertised.

Library Sources:

Most libraries contain books, magazines and other sources of career openings, occupational training opportunities, as well as information on further education and scholarships/fellowships. It is good to make it a habit to frequent a library to keep in touch with new economic as well as occupational trends.

University and college placement office:

During your final year at college or university, and even after graduation, you should utilize the university career placement office, in order to have access to information on employment and higher education opportunities that are available nationally and internationally. The university academic advisers and career counselors should be consulted for advice on career aspirations, in order to ease the student’s transition from the school setting to the world of work

In each of these instances, your body language speaks volumes about how you’d perform at a company. In fact, some experts say nonverbal cues are more important than verbal ones. According to these studies, body language comprises 55% of the force of any response, whereas the verbal content only provides 7%, and “paralanguage,” or the intonation, pauses and sighs given when answering, represents 38% of the emphasis.

Jo-Ann Vega, president of JV Career and Human Resources Consulting Services in Nyack , N.Y. , says body language is so important that it frequently torpedoes what we say.

“Our nonverbal messages often contradict what we say in words,” says Ms. Vega. “When we send mixed messages or our verbal messages don’t jibe with our body statements, our credibility can crumble because most smart interviewers believe the nonverbal.”

Laid-off managers are a case in point. They’re often so traumatized by their terminations that they appear downcast, even when discussing their strengths, says Ms. Vega. Difficult questions can throw them off balance, and their anxiety may cause them to fidget or become overly rigid, she says.

Since nonverbal communication is more eloquent, honest and accurate than verbal communication, such actions reveal your inner confidence. While words can deceive — many people don’t mean what they say or say what they mean — body language is subconscious. Since it’s more spontaneous and less controlled, it shows our true feelings and attitudes.

Still, most people discount the importance of nonverbal communication because their education and training placed more emphasis on spoken words. To become more adept at interpreting and using body language, heighten your awareness of nonverbal signals and learn to trust your “gut” instinct. Then, when interviewing, use the following tips to accentuate body language that stresses professionalism and performance.

The First Moments

Realize that you’re being judged as soon as you arrive at the company. Set the right tone by being early, then use the extra time to compose yourself. When waiting for interviewers, don’t open your briefcase to review notes you’ve prepared. Instead, glance through available magazines or literature in the waiting area.

This creates the impression that you’re relaxed before stressful events, and helps you project confidence during the critical early moments of the interview.

If a receptionist or secretary indicates that the interviewer is ready to see you, enter his or her office as though you belonged. Knocking on the door, or opening it and peeking in, shows hesitation, which may be interpreted as a lack of confidence.

Greet your interviewer with a firm, sincere handshake. More than a few candidates have betrayed their nervousness by extending limp, clammy palms, and shaking hands weakly.

Don’t start talking immediately, fumble with your briefcase or dive into a chair. If you aren’t invited to sit, choose a chair across from or aside the interviewer’s desk. Avoid soft lounge chairs or couches, which can prevent you from rising easily. And don’t ask if and where you should sit.

If your interviewer receives a phone call during the meeting, select and review material from your briefcase to give him or her a sense of privacy. Don’t show annoyance about the interruption or offer to leave the office. Many interviewers purposely take calls to determine if you’ll react adversely to office disruptions.

How Close Can You Get?

Like anyone else, interviewers become uncomfortable if their personal space, or preferred distance from others, is invaded. Extraverted interviewers prefer a “social zone” of between 18 and 48 inches from their bodies, while introverts need more space.

Try to gauge interviewers’ preferred distance by their seating arrangements. Move closer only if they seem skeptical about what you’re saying. Other attempts to seem “friendly” by moving closer are likely to be threatening. For instance, some interviewers deliberately “interrogate” applicants by sitting or standing closer than they prefer.

When emphasizing key points, project sincerity and confidence by leaning forward, maintaining eye contact and using expressive gestures. Leaning back and looking down may be interpreted as a lack of confidence.

How Do You Speak?

How you say something often is more meaningful than what you say. Use a natural tone and don’t deviate from your normal speaking rate, volume, rhythm, pitch, breathiness or resonance. Secure applicants have relaxed, warm and well-modulated voices that match their feelings, allowing them to appropriately express excitement, enthusiasm and interest during conversations.

Conversely, insecure candidates can’t control their voice pitch and volume. They have weak, soft, hesitant or tremulous voices, and clear their throats, use “uhs” and “ums” or other nervous mannerisms excessively. Others mask their insecurity by speaking in complex, involved sentences.

Maintain Eye Contact

Candidates with secure self-esteem alter their facial expressions to match their message, rather than perpetually wearing the same one. They smile when saying something friendly, and maintain good eye contact, which signifies openness and honesty.

Less-assured candidates don’t maintain eye contact, act shy or ashamed or smile at inappropriate times. They may appear downcast or pleading, or drop their eyes and heads, giving them an untrustworthy appearance.

Be cognizant of interviewers’ expressions as well. If they don’t maintain eye contact, it may mean they’re anxious, irritated, disinterested or that they want the conversation to end. An interviewer who looks up may be uncomfortable, trying to remember something or doesn’t believe your answer.

Don’t overdo eye contact with interviewers, however. A gaze that lasts longer than seven to 10 seconds can cause discomfort or anxiety. Also, don’t stare at interviewers during long silences, since it only increases the tension.

Posture and Gestures

Even if you’re motionless, your posture communicates a message. Managers who put their feet up on desks and their hands behind their heads are saying that they feel confident, dominant or superior, a soldier standing at attention is showing deference to authority and a subordinate who stands rigidly with hands on hips signals defiance or dislike.

Confident applicants have relaxed, balanced postures. They hold their bodies upright, walk freely with their arms swinging and take determined strides. Less-assured candidates, on the other hand, have rigid or stooped postures, drag or shuffle their feet when walking and take short, choppy strides.

Strive for posture that’s as free and natural as your speaking style, but don’t be too controlled or rehearsed, says Ms. Vega, who advises applicants to “let some of the passion out.” When your movements are in sync with your words, you’ll seem confident, expressive and controlled.

Reading Interviewers

Hiring managers also use gestures to convey specific messages. Nodding signifies approval and encourages applicants to continue talking, while leaning forward shows they’re interested. Folded arms, crossed legs, picking imaginary lint from clothing or running their fingers along their noses are signs that an interviewer disagrees with you. Thumb twiddling, finger drumming and other fidgeting mannerisms mean the interviewer isn’t paying attention.

Guard against using similar gestures or betraying your nervousness by clenching or wringing your hands. Other actions that convey stress include holding your legs or arms tensely, perching on the edge of a chair or playing with a watch or ring.

One caveat: Don’t imagine a hidden meaning in every gesture. For example, if an interviewer rubs her nose while you’re speaking, she may just have an itchy nose. Try to gauge the situation when seeking the meaning to a mannerism. Most experts look for clues in groups of gestures, not random ones.

Nevertheless, communicating the right nonverbal signals can help you convey an enthusiastic, positive and confident attitude during job interviews. And learning to read interviewers’ cues can improve your prospects as well.

– From the archives of the National Business Employment Weekly. The late Mr. Raudsepp, who was president of Princeton Creative Research Inc., a Princeton , N.J., consulting firm, was a frequent NBEW contributor between 1984 and 1995. This article was selected for its continuing relevance

The basic system of communication is the human body; not only the organs of the speech and hearing, but eyes and facial muscles, hands and arms, brain and in many respects the entire body

You who is going to be interviewed must use concentration body language to attract attention. Sit in attentive poise. You can lean forward, adopt an alert posture and use facial expression to encourage and respond to what is being said. Avoid all body language signs that depict a suggestion of tension, doubt, disagreement or dislike.

Body language signs

A touch is the most intimate personal communication, sometimes referred to as

Begin by deciding on the smaller details .

Write down when and where you will start the project, as well as what tools and information you will need. Make decision to start the process whatever the cost. The opportunity of success of a project (or anything) is found in the doing and not in just the knowing about the problem (project)

Make a list of short, easy tasks that are related to achieving your goal and begin with them.

This might be making a phone call or clearing a work area. The final success is build up of small succession of short achieved successes. The brain and the nervous system of the body learn to succeed from small successes.

Do the least favourite jobs before easier ones .

Sometimes the hardest tasks are the most important ones in achieving your goals. Getting them out of the way will make the rest of the load seem lighter. Also, if you put off unpleasant jobs, you might ” accidentally ” run out of time, energy and steam for them. The last jobs need interest and high motivation to be done to successful completion. That is why the favourite jobs are done last until after the least favourite jobs have been done away with.

Join with others who are pursuing the same goal.

If you are putting off studying for a math test, form a study group. Meeting regularly will not only force you to achieve your goal, but also give you the added support of others along the way. Most problem solutions are found in, of, from, about, with and for people. If you can identify and ask for assistance from the right people in the right time and in right place most of your unsolved problems will be dealt with very adequately.

Promise yourself an appropriate reward after you’ve reached your goal.

Give yourself a little treat for achieving short- term goals. Save larger rewards for meeting major goals. Anything rewarding will always excite the mind and the nervous system of the body to endure the pain of doing to achieve further reward.

This is how the law of self-preservation is fulfilled. The mind’s main duty is to do all it takes to achieve anything that contributes to self-preservation and rewarding the self-gratification. Attach a reward to any painful and treachery work and indeed, it will end up being done.