more interview questions and answers

What experiences have you had working on a team?
Well, one of the biggest team experiences was working as an animator. There was about six people working on my team at the time. We were responsible for completing the animation sequences for a television series episode. I remember putting in long hours together in order to meet our deadlines. Because we worked so closely together we built strong relationships. I still keep in touch with some of my old team mates.

What are your weaknesses?
I have a difficult time coming up with things on the spot. I’m the type of person who likes to be prepared; for example, scripting out a conversation. Recently, I have been trying to overcome this challenge by putting myself in awkward situations. I feel I am becoming more comfortable with these situations.

Lack of experience directly with in HR. That was also my weakness when I was working as instructional supervisor. One of my responsibilities at the time was to hire new instructors. I had never hired anyone before. However, through research and practice, I was able to conduct interviews with professionalism and tact. In addition, I was able to improve the quality of instruction at the school by hiring the right instructors.

One of the things I have been working on recently is follow-up. I was used to making an appointment or delegating a task and then expecting everything to follow-through as planned. I have found that things don’t always work out that way. So, I have been building the habit of following-up so that I can feel more confident about the situation. In fact, in most cases, I have found that the recipient really appreciates the reminder.

What are your short-term goals?
My short-term goal is to demonstrate my commitment to the Human Resource profession by passing the National Knowledge Exam and working towards becoming certified.
Another goal is to give back to the community by participating in a marathon. In fact one of the things I really like about this company is its involvement with in the community.

What has been the most satisfying/ disappointing experience?
The most satisfying experience was completing and submitting an accreditation report for a private college and receiving a passing letter from the agency. This was satisfying because of the amount of work involved in completing the report and the lack of information I had when beginning the report. Connected with this is the most disappointing experience. Although we passed the initial stage and were accepted to receive an audit, the school did not have the financial resources to go ahead. As a result I never got to see the full benefits of all that work.

What is your mission statement?
To know as a person of integrity and dedication; someone who continually sought to improve himself and maintain a positive attitude.

Always try to leave something better than when you found it.
For example, when I was given the responsible of coordinating special events at Nova, the first thing I did was examine the processes involved. I questioned why I did things a certain way and thought about different ways that could accomplish the same task. I looked for problems with the systems and thought of ways to improve those problems. I then discussed these ideas with my supervisor. One idea that was implemented was a recording system which improved the data being kept from the events.

What has been the toughest decision you had to make this past year? Why?
Definitely, moving back to Canada. When you have a decision that involves a lot of people, especially when they are so close to you, it becomes more challenging. I remember, leaving the private college to move to Japan. I had worked hard to provide the students with the best atmosphere I could. I really wanted to see them succeed. This made leaving more difficult. However, when I returned to visit my family last October, I I ran into a couple of my former students. I was really excited to hear they were working in the industry.

HR Comics

Being involved in the world of HR provides many humourous opportunities I imagine. I came across the work of Randy Glasbergen. You can visit his website at www.glasbergen.com/office.html

Interview Questions Part II

Describe for me a time when you had to adapt to a difficult situation. What did you do?

Our branch’s motivation was really low due to the financial trouble of the company. The employees hadn’t been paid on time and the future of the company was uncertain. I tried to be a role model for the other instructors by maintaining a positive and helpful attitude and by focusing on the students. While the situation for the company never improved, I believe those around me were able to work a little better.

Tell me about a time when you hired (or fired) the wrong person.

While developing the curriculum at the College of Interactive Arts, we decided to add an “Introduction to Programming” course. Prior to that, all the courses were art-based. Since I was responsible for hiring the instructors, I needed to find someone qualified to teach the course.

I had little knowledge about programming so I did as much research as I could to familiarize myself with the qualifications we would need. When it came down to interviewing I focused a lot on finding the person with the right skills and abilities.

In the end, we hired a very talented programmer. Unfortunately, he did not stay very long. His personality did not fit the school. I learned that finding the right person meant more the skills and abilities. Some of the best teachers we had were not the most talented but their personalities brought out the best in our students.

Tell me about something you did – or failed to do – that you now feel a little ashamed of.

I always try to look at things from a positive side. You know, what can I learn from this? I have found that dwelling on regrets or past mistakes only holds me back.

What Recruiters look for in a resume

On LinkedIn's "Ask a Question" section, Eugene Rembor, CEO of Rembor & Partners Ltd gave an intriguing answer to the question "what would be your 'top' 5 things to check in a resume"?

Here are his answers along with my commentary:

1. Language, grammar and spelling (communication skills)
Many of the HR positions I have seen require attention to detail, and excellent verbal and written skills. Having a resume free from grammar and spelling errors that communicates well helps demonstrate these skills.

2. Duration of jobs (job hopper or loyal member of staff)
Dedication and commitment can be demonstrated by the length of time one spends at a company. I have tried to highlight my progression in my past jobs as I have been promoted.

3. Measurable contributions (or just another overhead)
Some of the key words that have come up in various job posting were "proven ability, demonstrated proficiency". Including measurable achievements on my resume shows potential employers what I can do for them. It's important to match the achievements listed on the resume with what the company is looking for, so relevancy in important.

4. Initiatives (self-starter or kick-starter)
"A motivated self-starter" is one of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities listed on a job posting I recently applied for. This is one of my skills that I have highlighted on my resume.

5. Qualifications and courses taken (resting on his laurels or continuing honing her skills)
Candidates can demonstrate their dedication to their profession by highlighting their involvement in associations and industry events, and by continuing education. I returned to school to build on my experience as an Instructional Supervisor. I recently graduated with a B.S. in Business Management and I am now working towards receiving my designation with Canadian Council of Human Resource Association as a Human Resource professional. I plan to take the National Knowledge Exam in May of 2008.

Increasing one's on-line presence

I just finished listening to a mp3 recording of an interview with Jason Alba, author and creator of jibberjobber.com, at 2007 Global Telesummit. He gave 5 great tips on increasing one's on-line presence. I have listed the 5 tips below with additional comments of how I have applied or planning to apply these tips.

1. Get a blog and post on it at least three times a week.

I currently have two blogs. One is titled, "Journey to a Career in HR", and describes my personal journey (ie. goals, experiences, thoughts) as I build my career in the world of Human Resources. The second is titled, "Becoming a Human Resource Professional", which discusses the "Required Professional Capabilities" covered in the Canadian Council of Human Resources Association (CCHRA)'s National Knowledge Exam and is a resource for HR practitioners studying for their certification as an Human Resource professional.

2. Get accounts on various networks.

Three Google friendly accounts that were mentioned included linkedin, jobster, and emurse. It was also stated that the accounts should contain common acronyms and buzz words. I have various on-line accounts. Included is a list of places where resume can be found:
linkedin.com
emurse.com
monster.com
workopolis.com
BCjobs.com

3. Comment on blogs in your space.

Contributing to blogs within my industry is one area I have not pursued. Some of my favorite HR blogs I plan to contribute on include:
Human Resource 101
Career Hub

4. Keep it clean.

When posting information or comments remember that what you say is associated with your name.

5. Substantiate yourself. For example, volunteer

Being in Japan it is difficult to volunteer in my industry. However, I have been working on a podcast which is a companion to my "Becoming a Human Resource Professional" blog. I hope will substantiate myself from others.