PT. Graha Sarana Duta (GSD)

PT. Graha Sarana Duta (GSD) merupakan sebuah perusahaan properti terpadu yang dimiliki oleh PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk. (TELKOM) pada tahun 2001, dengan porsi kepemilikan saham Telkom sebesar 99,9%.

Saat ini PT. GSD memiliki cakupan wilayah kerja di seluruh Indonesia dan melakukan pengelolaan terhadap gedung-gedung perusahaan TelkomGroup seperti gedung PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia, PT. Telkomsel, PT. Infomedia dan PT. Metra. Selain itu PT. GSD juga mengelola 106 lokasi gedung lain yang dimiliki oleh berbagai bidang usaha di luar Telkomgroup seperti perkantoran, apartemen, mall, dan bandara baik secara keseluruhan maupun secara parsial.

Dalam menjalankan bisnisnya PT. Graha Sarana Duta memiliki tiga portofolio bisnis yaitu: Pengelolaan, Manajemen Proyek dan Pengembangan Properti.

Untuk mengantisipasi pertumbuhan perusahaan yang semakin cepat baik dalam group maupun ekspansi ke pasar properti, PT Graha Sarana Duta mencari para fresh graduate di untuk posisi: 

job vacancy indonesia

FINANCE STAFF

Tugas Utama:

• Entry transaksi keuangan operasional
• Melakukan analisis kesesuaian dan kewajaran laporan transaksi operasional
  

Persyaratan Posisi: vacancy

• Pendidikan Minimum D3 Akuntansi/ Manajemen Keuangan/ Komputer Akuntansi
• Menguasai Komputer, Minimal MS Office (min. Word & Excel) atau Open Office
• Akan diutamakan apabila memiliki pengalaman dengan SAP Finance
• Tekun dan teliti pada detail
• employee
  

THE ARYADUTA HOTEL & COUNTRY CLUB

Hotel Aryaduta is Indonesia’s premier and leading hospitality group with a tradition of luxury, comfort, and style. The group is part of the hospitality division of the Lippo Group which is one of the largest hotel groups in Southeast Asia, including its associated flagship property, the 1.200 rooms The Meritus Mandarin Hotel on Orchard Road in Singapore.

Outstanding opportunities at Aryaduta exist for enthusiastic and reliable individuals who also possess exceptional customer service mindset.

> job vacancy indonesia 

Accountant

Qualification and Experience:

• Fluency in English
• Minimum 2 years experience at the same position.
• Experience in a 5-stars hotels is highly preferred

Placement: Karawaci vacancy

If you are looking for a challenge and want to be part of Aryaduta family, then send your application along with resume before 15 December 2010, to the below email:
employee
recruitment.karawaci@aryaduta.com

Writing Job Descriptions

A good job description begins with a careful analysis of the important facts about a job--such as the individual tasks involved, the methods used to complete the tasks, the purpose and responsibilities of the job, the relationship of the job to other jobs, and the qualifications needed for the job.

It's important when writing job descriptions, to create a vision that is dynamic,functional and current. Don't get stuck with an inflexible job description!

Apoor job description will keep you and your employees from trying anything newand learning how to perform their job more productively. A well-written,practical job description will help you avoid hearing a refusal to carry out arelevant assignment because "it isn't in my job description."

Realistically speaking, many jobs are subject to change, due either topersonal growth, organizational development and/or the evolution of newtechnologies. Flexible job descriptions will encourage your employees to growwithin their positions and learn how to make larger contributions to yourcompany.

For example: Is your office manager stuck "routinely orderingoffice supplies for the company and keeping the storage closet well stocked" or is she/he "developing and implementing a system of orderingoffice supplies that promotes cost savings and efficiency within theorganization?"

When writing job descriptions, keep in mind that the job description willserve as a major basis for outlining job training or conducting future jobevaluations. 

> job vacancy indonesia  

Writing Job Descriptions - each job description should include a:

• Job Title
  

• Job Objective or Overall Purpose Statement - This statement is generally a summary designed to orient the reader to the general nature, level, purpose and objective of the job. The summary should describe the broad function and scope of the position and be no longer than three to four sentences.
  

• List of Duties or Tasks Performed - The list contains an item by item list of principal duties, continuing responsibilities and accountability of the occupant of the position. The list should contain each and every essential job duty or responsibility that is critical to the successful performance of the job. The list should begin with the most important functional and relational responsibilities and continue down in order of significance. Each duty or responsibility that comprises at least five percent of the incumbent's time should be included in the list.
  

• Description of the Relationships and Roles the occupant of the position holds within the company, including any supervisory positions, subordinating roles and/or other working relationships.
  

When writing job descriptions for recruiting situations, you may also want toattach the following:  

> vacancy

• Job Specifications, Standards and Requirements - the minimum qualifications needed to perform the essential functions of the job such as education, experience, knowledge and skills. Any critical skills and expertise needed for the job should be included. For example, for a receptionist, critical skills may be having 1) a professional and courteous telephone manner, 2) legible hand-writing if messages are to be taken 3) the ability to handle a multiple-lined phone system for a number of staff members and 4) the patience and endurance to sit behind a desk all day.
  

• Job Location - where the work will be performed
  

• Equipment to be used in the performance of the job. For example, does your company's computers run in a Apple MacIntosh or PC Windows environment?
  

• Collective Bargaining Agreements - agreements and terms that relate to job functions, if applicable, such as when your company's employees are members of a union.
  

• Non-Essential Functions - functions which are not essential to the position or any marginal tasks performed by the incumbent of the position.
  

• Salary Range - range of pay for the position.
  

When writing job descriptions, keep each statement in the job description crisp and clear.

• Structure your sentences in classic verb/object and explanatory phrases. Since the occupant of the job is your sentences' implied subject, it may be eliminated. For example, a sentence pertaining to the description of a receptionist position might read: "Greets office visitors and personnel in a friendly and sincere manner."
  

• Always use the present tense of verbs when writing job descriptions
  

• If necessary, use explanatory phrases telling why, how, where or how often to add meaning and clarity. For example: "Collects all employee time-sheets on a bi-weekly basis for payroll purposes."
  

• Omit any unnecessary articles such as "a", "an", "the" or other words for an easy to understand, straight to the point definition when writing job descriptions. Using the above example, the statement could have read, "Greets all visitors and the office personnel to the building in a friendly and a sincere manner."
  

• Use un-biased terminology. For example: use the "he/she" approach or construct sentences in such as way that gender pronouns are not required.
  

Avoid using words which are subject to differing interpretations. Try not to use words such as "frequently," "some," "complex," "occasional," and "several."

 > employee

Always an Interview, Never an Offer?

For some reason, lately I have been meeting up with several job seekers who have all had the same dilemma: many interviews without an offer. When I say "many," I mean anywhere from 5 to 7 within a 3-month period. By and large, that is a good amount of interviews for this economy, and if you are obtaining this many without getting to an offer, it may be time to take stock.

Of course, industry and level of position come into play here as well as amount of competition for the position. However, the job seekers I have met with have cut across several industries, management levels, and regional markets. And when I have probed just a little bit, it hasn't taken long to discover some of the potential issues.

> job vacancy indonesia 

Although each person is different as well as each situation, in almost every case, there are some similarities to watch out for.

Before I list these similarities, however, I want to make a general observation. If you are a job seeker and you are in this situation, many interviews with no offer, then if you are like my job-seeking clients, you probably aren't going to like or even accept what I have to say here. Period. And that, of course, is what leads me to issue 1.

1. Inability to be objective. Many candidates forget that an interview is as much a personality contest as it is a discussion about ability. Of course, you are capable, but are you likable? For certain personality types, who don't like "playing the game," this can be tough news. This type of candidate comes into the interview even resenting the need for the interview or the need to "play the game." What he or she fails to recognize is that this attitude is annoying, and no matter how much someone tries to hide it, it isn't hard to uncover.

2. Denial about bitterness (and desperation). Like the resentful attitude in issue 1, bitterness and desperation are pervasive, whether you realize it or not. Although not the same things, these two attributes often take the job seeker to the same place: without an offer. Before you tell yourself you are good at covering it up, think again.

> vacancy      

I spent hours with a candidate recently trying to convince her that her bitterness was pouring out of her like a bad perfume while she categorically denied it. She refused to see what everyone else could.

To help you uncover whether the two issues above could be affecting you during the interview, here are some questions to ask yourself (or better yet, why don't you ask someone you trust to answer them on your behalf?):
• Are you spending a lot of time during your job search feeling down or sorry for yourself?
• Do you find yourself often talking about how you were wronged by this economy or your past employer?
• When you are in an interview, do you sometimes reach a point of frustration that you have to try and squelch?
• Do you often walk out of the interview feeling badly about the interviewer/company?

3. Failure to seize follow-up opportunities. Very few negotiations are secured in one meeting, even two. Sometimes it is the work you do between meetings that makes the difference. I am still amazed by how few candidates send thank-you notes to interviewers or follow up afterward. When an interview is over, they shrug their shoulders like they just finished taking a college exam. "It is what it is. What can I do now?" A lot!

4. Misplaced trust in references. For some reason, job seekers trust their references implicitly. But in many cases where offers are not being extended, it can be the result of those whom we believed would give us a good reference. Think about it. Almost no one will say "no" when you ask them to serve as a reference for you. And we think because they are seemingly nice to our face and willing to do it, that they will then be a good reference for us. Sorry to say, but this is not always the case. Unfortunately, it may not be that easy to figure out who is the weak link for you either if you are providing 3 or more references to a potential employer. However, if you have had several interviews and have handed over your reference names, only to not receive an offer, it might be time to try out some new references.

5. Forgetting that people lie. Just because a company didn't disclose to you a bad reference, doesn't mean you didn't receive one. And just because a company tells you that you are under/overqualified doesn't mean that is the real reason you didn't get the job. Companies are made up of humans, and most humans don't like confrontation. So instead of telling it to you straight, they will come up with a plausible excuse. Believe me, if you are the one they want, they will overlook a multitude of things to make it happen.

> employee    

At the Job Interview, Your Behavior Outweighs Your Answers

Nancy prepared long and hard for her job interview. She researched the company, studied the job description, developed and practiced answers for likely questions, dressed appropriately, and arrived early. She really needed the job!

At the job interview, Nancy answered every question well.

Unfortunately, her behavior sabotaged her performance. 

When introduced to the interviewer, she said, “Thank you so much for seeing me. I really need this job.” After answering one of the questions, she added, “I hope I answered that sufficiently for you. I really need this job.” As the interview was ending, the last thing she said was, “Thank you for the opportunity to interview for this job. I really need it!”

Nancy, like many other job candidates, believed that letting the interview know she really needed the job would help her to get it.

But that’s not true. 

> job vacancy indonesia    

As a matter of fact, being “too desperate” for the job is one of the most common reasons hiring managers will reject you, regardless of your qualifications. If they know how desperate you are, they will wonder to what lengths you will go to get the job—would you exaggerate on your résumé or lie during the interview? You don’t want them wondering about things like that. Be enthusiastic about the opportunity, but don’t be a “Needy Nancy.”

Here are six other behaviors to avoid during job interviews (despite the names, all behaviors apply to both men and women):

“Overly Familiar Fred” behaves like he’s best buddies with male interviewers, and flirts with female interviewers. He’ll smile, wink, joke around and try to come across as God’s gift to the hiring manager. It’s OK to be friendly and charming to a point, but there’s a line you should never cross. Professionalism is paramount. Don’t be an “Overly Familiar Fred.”

“Aimless Amy” behaves like she wants a job… and any job will do. It’s obvious to hiring managers that she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. Be prepared to communicate clear career goals and give compelling reasons why you want the specific job for which you are interviewing. Don’t be an “Aimless Amy.” 

> vacancy     

“Rambling Randy” behaves like he’s trying to win a talking contest. He goes on and on, telling personal stories and getting completely away from the point of the question. Listening is as important as talking. Don’t talk just to fill a temporary silence from the interviewer. Stories are good, but they should be relevant and brief. Don’t be a “Rambling Randy.”

“Emotional Emma” lets her feelings interfere with her performance. If a tricky interviewer insults her appearance or skills to gauge her reaction, she’ll become visibly upset—perhaps even burst into tears or hurl insults back at the interviewer. If you have a temper or cry easily—or tend to get overly nervous—focus on remaining calm during the interview, no matter what. I’m not saying you should hide all emotions; no one wants to hire a robot. Let your personality show. But don’t be an “Emotional Emma.”

“Arrogant Andy” behaves like he’s doing the hiring manager a favor by coming in for an interview. He speaks in a condescending tone when answering questions he feels are beneath him. He enjoys bragging about his accomplishments, never mentioning team efforts. He is confident that his qualifications are far superior to those of other candidates. He’s sure the interview is just a formality, and believes the job is his if he really wants it. No matter how qualified you are, it’s more important to be likeable. No one will hire an egotistical jerk. Don’t be an “Arrogant Andy.”

“Timid Tina” behaves like she’s afraid to be noticed. She avoids eye contact, speaks in a quiet voice, answers questions with the fewest words possible, and rarely smiles. When asked if she has any questions as the interview winds down, she quickly says “No,” and looks longingly at the door, eager to escape. Many people are shy; very few people enjoy being interviewed. But no matter how desperately you wish someone would hire you based solely on your résumé, it’s not going to happen—you’ll have to talk your way into the job. Force yourself to show confidence and enthusiasm. After all, you have a lot to offer! You can’t offer anyone anything if you’re afraid to be noticed. Don’t be a “Timid Tina.” 

> employee   

Job Interviews Can Be a Real Bore

I'm sorry, but job interviews can be a real bore. If you get an interview with a company and have four people to meet, the odds are that two of those interviews will be boring. What do I mean by boring? Well, there are a lot of people asked to interview who don't do it very often and don't really know what to ask. There are also those that are so scripted that the candidate is forced to fall back on answers that are also scripted. If the interviewer was nervous or unsure going into the meeting and remained that way through until the end, you will be blamed for it.

> job vacancy indonesia   

Boring interviews end up in a cycle of generic interaction that leads the interviewer to neither like you or dislike you. In the post-interview meeting that most companies have, you will likely not stand out. Instead, as you are peeling off your business suit or scraping off your fancy interview shoes, you are being described as "OK", "good gal/guy" or "capable". Not very inspiring for the hiring manager and not much cover if he/she wants to make you an offer.

> vacancy    

Whether your fault or not, you have not broken through to this interviewer. Because the interview was uneventful, even if the fault of the interviewer, you are going to pay the price.

So how can you turn a boring interview into a memorable one?

Turn the discussion around to focus on the interviewer.

In some cases, this will be a relief. They were not comfortable asking questions anyway. In other cases, they will love the idea of sharing a success or describing a key project that they led.

Yes, you have to take over. But you have to be careful. Each interviewer is different and may require a different style of takeover. Sometimes one question from you can change the entire structure of the interview, make it more personal and provide the opening for you to become more than just one of five candidates being seen that day.

How about some ideas, you say?

1. Ask the first question and keep asking.

Here's an easy one: How long have you been with (COMPANY)? Kicks off the interview as conversational and sets the tone a bit. If you sense that the interviewer likes talking, ask additional questions to better understand his/her role in the company and what influence they may have on the position in question. Once you've established a more conversational format, you can introduce key points about yourself with more precision.

2. Ask a personal question that focuses attention on the interviewer in a positive way.

"What have been your best moments here at (COMPANY)?" This allows them to share something with you and allows you to follow-up in a number of different ways. If the response is that the interviewer was critical in the installation of a new piece of plant equipment, ask him to show it to you. Oh, how an interview changes when you can get up, walk around and get conversational. You are now building a relationship and having an impact. And, by the way, everyone else you are interviewing with sees you on your walk - you look to be getting special treatment, right?

3. Ask questions to introduce your key and unique skills.

Ask a question like: Do you have a system to consistently guarantee new products will launch on time? After they answer, you are free to describe your skills here and cement yourself as someone who can make a quick and substantial positive impact. Be careful not to ask questions that could potentially embarrass an interviewer or force them to look less than strategic.

Now I hear some of you saying: "Hey, I'm thankful for every interview I can get. I need interviews, boring or not to get myself back in business!". I hear you. In times when interviews are hard to come by, your ability to make a really positive and obvious impact is crucial. You want the interview team to come in to the candidate review meeting with words like "wow", "I could see him starting here tomorrow", "that's the one we need". And those reactions won't come from a team of four when two of the four are asking standard questions and getting acceptable, standard answers. Don't wait until the end to ask your questions. You may run out of time and, for sure, you will not stand out. > employee  

8 Interview Mistakes and How to Recover

There are big interviewing mistakes and there are little mistakes that you can make as a candidate during the interview. Some are universal. However, some mistakes that would be a big deal at one firm might be considered a little mistake at another. Nevertheless, be mindful of not making the most common of mistakes we see a lot of interviewees make. If you find yourself making one of these following mistakes here is what I recommend for damage control.

> job vacancy indonesia  

I must interject that, of course, the best advice is to not make these mistakes. But, from time-to-time mistakes happen. Many people get nervous during an interview and make mistakes they otherwise never would. So with the spirit of knowing that mistakes happen, let's deal with the most common ones one at a time.

1. Forgetting the name of your interviewer There are several levels of mistakes for this one. Before the interview and during the interview of course, and then there are those panel interviews where forgetting names can really fluster you.

Before the interview Check your notes, did you write it down anywhere? If you have a recruiter simply call and ask. If not check the online directory/contact us page. If not there call the company/receptionist/secretary and ask. You can simply tell them that you have an interview and misplaced your note with the name of the person you are interviewing with.

During the interview This is also going to be easy because you are going to use this tip when you go into your interview. Write the name of the person and title on a note card. Keep it in your inside jacket pocket or purse. Read it before you go in for the interview (many times pending your memory). Make sure that you say their name out loud when you meet them to help sear it into your skull. If you forget their name during the interview simply pull out the card and write a pretend note (as you see the name). If the interview format allows for note taking then simply have their name and title on the note page for easy reference.

Panel interviews A good technique is to be prepared to start taking notes immediately when the interview starts. When you meet everyone write their first name down in the position they are in the room to you onto the paper while their names are fresh in your mind. If you did not get all their names write a line or circle in the position where the interviewer is that you have forgotten their name. Pay attention to see if one of the other interviewers use their name and if so simply write it on the line or within the circle. You can easily glance at this "chart" without anyone noticing and with confidence use each interviewer's name as you address their questions. If you have one that you just can't get their name overcompensate a little (not a lot) with focused eye contact with that individual. > vacancy   

2. Mispronouncing an important word If you find yourself starting to say a word and it occurs to you that you have drawn a blank on the correct pronunciation of the word and you know you're about to butcher it then stop. Don't say the rest of the word. Act like that wasn't actually the word you wanted to use by pausing and then using a different word that conveys as close to the meaning of the word you blanked on as you can quickly draw upon. This is much better than totally mispronouncing the word. If you were unable to stop yourself or did not realize you butchered it until after it left your mouth then simply say something along the lines of, "That did not come out right did it? What I meant to say is..." Don't dwell on it. Don't bring the interviewers focus anymore to it.

3. Your stain is singing I love the commercial with Tide-to-Go of the person in the interview that has a stain on his shirt and it is so loud that it is all the interviewer can hear. I think it's pretty funny because it is so true.

You spilled something on yourself and have a nice stain to show for it or ripped your panty hose or any other clothing disaster then try to hide it. If you can't hide it then don't try to hide it. What I mean by that is if the stain is obvious then make sure you acknowledge it! Don't just act like it's not there. Point it out by saying something like, "It figures I would spill something on myself the day of an interview". Or, use humor and say something like, "I realize in hindsight that the food fight I started at lunch probably wasn't the best idea." It is better to acknowledge the spot than to pretend like it's not there and let the interviewer think that you don't know you have a giant coffee stain on your shirt. Smile, acknowledge and move on.

4. Using verbal crutches It's natural when a person gets nervous or excited to more heavily rely on verbal crutches than they normally would in just about any other conversation they have. Using words like "um" and "like" and "uh" every other word or at the beginning or end of every sentence is a mistake you need to be cognitive of because it is much more noticeable than you think. The people overly using these crutches typically don't realize it. So pay attention. If you notice yourself making this mistake then simply slow down, regain your verbal composure and try to focus a bit more on tightening up your sentences.

5. Stepping over your words It is easy to get tongue tied sometimes. When this happens just pause for one second, take the next sentence you want to say and articulate it and then take it sentence from sentence from there until you are back in your groove.

6. You're late One of the biggies. If you are going to be more than 10 minutes late call your interviewer and let them know when you are going to arrive and apologize. If you are going to be more than 10 minutes late ask if they would still like to interview you or if you should still come in or reschedule. Convey that you know their time is valuable (even though they are not going to perceive this by your actions) and give the important reason why you are late. Once you arrive apologize for being late and then let the issue subside, don't dwell on it.

7. Can't pronounce your interviewer's name Call before your interview and ask the receptionist or call the company directory to check and see if the names are verbally listed. If you are working with a recruiter, have them tell you or find out for you. A good trick is to call the person after business hours and listen to see if their name is on their voice mail. If all else fails be the first to introduce your name when you stick out your hand to shake theirs they will naturally respond with telling you their name and therefore how to pronounce it. If that doesn't work simply ask, "Am I pronouncing your name correctly?"

8. Overreacting to your interviewer's pessimism Many interviewers will act like they don't care much for you just to see how you will act in an uncomfortable situation. Depending on the kind of position you are interviewing for you might even have the interviewer try to "scare you off" by overemphasizing the negatives of the position and your qualifications for it. This is not uncommon with sales type positions. This is used as a test by some interviewers to see how much you want this job and how well you overcome objections. Their reasoning is if they can scare you away so easily you're not the right person for the job. If you want the job don't make the mistake of being scared off. Ask about the positive aspects of the position. Explain that you know nothing good comes easy in a career and you are willing to pay the dues to be successful.

Follow up When you send a thank you letter run damage control on any problems that occurred during your interview. Focus on major issues, not the small stuff. Simply acknowledge it and that's it. Don't write a paragraph explaining the details.
So we all make mistakes The important thing to remember is to not let your interviewing mistake get to you. Keep your composure. Have a relaxed attitude and as much as possible a good sense of humor about it. It's possible, and I have seen it happen on numerous occasions, that showing the interviewer how you handle and recover from a mistake shows them just the side of you that they are looking for and ends up playing to your advantage.

> employee  

5 Tips To Excel At Interviewing

Currently, for my day job, I work on contract to develop software. Most of my contracts run months, not years so I have ample opportunity to go in to a company and interview for a position. In addition, I am asked on occasion to take part in an interview to help a client determine if a prospective developer would be a good fit for the organization.

So having sat on both sides of the table, with a frequency higher than most, I was asked by a client to come up with a short list of tips for interviewing. This short list of five tips will help you get an edge in your interview.

> job vacancy indonesia 

Tip #1 - Understand what you are doing there (an interview goes two ways)

This is the one tip that will influence all the others. What is an interview? Inter- as in intersection, interruption, and even Internet. The prefix inter means among or between. There is a bidirectional component. An intersection is where two roads cross, an interruption is where two thoughts cross, the Internet is where our collective networks cross. And an interview is where our views of each other cross.

Many people lose this perspective when interviewing. I think I'm going into an examination and being judged on whether I'm good enough to get the job. This is only partially true. The other half of the event is that I'm "viewing" them. I am deciding if this is a place I want to work and I can contribute with my talents and time to be a happy and productive partner.

So I'm going to be viewing very closely this hiring manager, the surroundings, the technical interviewer, the process they use, the tests they may give - everything I can to help me determine if this place is for me. I'm going to kick the tires. I'm not a lab rat in this process, I'm a participant in an inter-view.

> vacancy   

Tip #2 - Be prepared (you've got to know what you want to know)

The last time you bought a car, did you just pull up at a dealer, walk around the lot and point at a car as the salesmen came running out to help you and just say, "I'll take that one over there in the corner?" Of course not. You probably looked at models, prices, fuel efficiency, comfort and amenities, horsepower, and safety features, oh don't forget the color, and maybe even more.

Knowing that I am making a decision about my potential hire, I don't want to go in unprepared. What am I looking for? Does this company do meaningful work? Will I be doing something that interests me? Or am I just looking to get a paycheck and hoping nobody notices me. I need to take a little time to decide what I'm looking for and actually ask about the situation and environment I'd be in.

For example, I've been put in places where contractors share a cubicle. It's a tight place to begin with, and I'd want to know who my bunk mate is before such a voyage. I've been at places where I worked in a meeting room with 6 other developers shoulder to shoulder around a big table with laptops. It's always fun when somebody takes a phone call, because we all get to listen in! I've even sat at a small table in the copy room where the faxes practically floated down onto my keyboard. At one place I came to work and didn't have a computer or even a chair, I sat on my desk for the first week reading manuals. And at another place I was given a box with my desk ready to assemble. We spent two days with electric drills assembling our desks before we could start working! If I wanted that, I would've been a handyman (which I'm not!). If I'm going to work somewhere - even for a few months - I want to see where I will be sitting.

What's important to you? The location, some of the other people? If you get a chance, stop and ask a future colleague what they think, how they're liking it. Don't expect the whole truth, but if you listen, you can get enough of a clue.

So be prepared for your interview with some questions and an idea of what you are looking for.

Tip #3 - Don't sweat it (everybody's nervous if you pay attention)

I'm always surprised how nervous people get in interviews. I guess I shouldn't be, I get fairly nervous myself. And as a person who often suffers from sweaty palms, that first handshake can really make me on edge. But a chuck to the shoulder or a parade float style wave just aren't acceptable, and a friendly hug is right out of the question! So just get used to the fact that you are going to be some degree of nervous.

But again - this is an interview. Stop and look at your interviewer, they're a little nervous themselves. They come in and shuffle through your resume. They have a stack of 50 on their desk and they have to talk to you like they know a little about you, that's stressful. They are usually meeting with you because they have a position they need filled. They have a need and it's not currently being met, this is stressful. They probably needed to fill this spot weeks ago and it got to the point where they had to get going on this, time is of the essence and stress is piling up.

So, understand and accept that you will be nervous, but it's not too hard to see the signs from your co-interviewers, that they are nervous as well. This can be a great comfort knowing that you're all in this together.

Tip #4 - Making a first impression... on purpose

As I've said, you are viewing them, so they are giving you a first impression. You need to pay attention and get the full benefit of what they have to offer. But you are also making your first impression and you should take some time to put your best foot forward.

They say, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." But often we don't know when we are going to have that first encounter. You bump into a friend while out running errands and they introduce you to their friend who they've "told all about you." There you are - BOOM - a first impression, hope you were ready!

Interviews are very convenient in that you know you are going there to make a first impression. So make it count. Look your best, be confident, be excited for the new possibilities this opportunity may present to you - this day could change your life! For me moving from no paycheck to having a paycheck is a major difference that impacts my whole family. So I need to take advantage and get on edge and use the fact that this is my first impression for all it's worth.

 > employee