www.themuse “So, do you have any questions for me?” The interview is almost over, and you’ve nailed every question the hiring manager has asked. But don’t brush off this last one as a formality. “If an applicant doesn’t have any questions for me, that’s a red flag,” explains Angela Smith, a recruiter. Almost as bad as not asking a question is asking one that could be answered by looking at the job description or company website. So what should you ask to impress the hiring manager and end the interview on a high note? We’re glad you asked. Photo of speech bubbles courtesy of Shutterstock. Digital Wallets Come in Handy, But Not Where You Think For more information about BrandSpeak, click here. There's been an awful lot of media coverage lately about the promise of waving a digital wallet inside a smartphone at a counter in exchange for lunch. Surely, that has great appeal for someone, but doesn't it smack of a technology in search of a problem to solve? Abandoned Carts Yesterday was Cyber Monday, the single-biggest online shopping day of the year. By some estimates, 70% or more of all ecommerce transactions are abandoned at checkout, valued at roughly $18 billion a year. A slew of trusted brands, startups and banks getting in on the action — and that’s probably too many. The Promise of Digital Wallets E-retailers are eagerly anticipating that day. Beller expects a significant uptick in V.me usage during the holiday shopping season, and eventually, she thinks the habit will carry over to the brick and mortar locations, as well.
www.themuse Communication is hard work. According to recent research, we spend 1/3 of our time in the office on email—a number that’s surely rising. And that doesn’t even take into account the stress involved in figuring out how to convey a potentially difficult message, like asking for help, saying no, or admitting you messed up. To help make the most of your time and energy, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite scripts and templates for making email (and a few other things, like that pesky LinkedIn recommendation you need to write) much easier and less time consuming. Whether you’re job searching, networking, dealing with day-to-day work communications, or trying to be a better manager, find your situation below, tweak the template to your liking, and send it off! Job Search 1. Read More 2. You’ve applied to a job at your dream company—and then noticed a friend is connected to someone there. Read More 3. Your cover letter shouldn’t just walk through your job history (that’s your resume’s job). 4. 5.
10 Best Questions To Ask At The End Of An Interview You made it! You have survived the rigorous questions from the employer, tell me about yourself, what is your greatest weakness, tell me about a time… Now comes the dreaded, “what questions to you have for me?” You start to panic because what if you ask something that they’ve already told you or maybe something that is inappropriate. In order to ease your nerves, remember these 10 best questions to ask, because now it is your time to put the employer in the hot seat. Who would I report to on a daily basis? Good luck and happy interviewing! 10 Additional Free Tools to Create a More Advanced Resume Creating a resume for your job search can be a daunting task. Luckily, there are helpful tools online that can assist you in writing a more advanced resume. We’ve already shown you ten free online tools that can help write, edit, and develop your resume. However, there are additional tools (that are also free!) out there that can support you in this task. 1. Canva is a graphic-design tool where you can create a variety of images to use in social media, presentations, print material, websites, and more. 2. One overlooked resource for creating your resume is Microsoft Office Online. 3. VisualCV is an online tool that allows you to generate a standout resume whether you are a recent graduate, experienced employee, or work in freelance. 4. If you’re looking to make a modern, professional resume, this is the tool for you. 5. LiveCareer is another tool that allows you to develop a professional, specialized resume within a matter of minutes. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
So You Don't Want to be a Programmer After All I get a surprising number of emails from career programmers who have spent some time in the profession and eventually decided it just isn't for them. Most recently this: I finished a computer science degree last year, worked about a year in the Java EE stack. I liked requirements engineering and more 'management stuff' in university, but let's face it: you tend to be driven to be a programmer. I enjoy programming itself. I'm not doing it that badly, I even do it better than some people. And this: Since the first year of studying programming at university I have known in my heart that computer programming is not meant for me, but I was afraid to do anything about it and here I am now 12 years later programming with no passion. Well, what about the rest of the Stack Exchange network? Nope. Stack Exchange wants questions that are as useful to as many people as possible, and actively closes (sorry, "puts on hold") the ones that are not. A startup? * Yes, you should quit.