job interview questions and the answer

Tell me about yourself? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in five years time?
In the decade I have been writing about employment these would have to be the top three most detested questions.
There are some fabulous one-off hated questions. One woman wrote to me after a weird question from a potential boss. “He wanted to know how I would react to him banging his fists down on the desk – and did just that to demonstrate.” It shouldn’t be an issue because the answer is not to take the job if it is offered.
Another woman in her early 30s told me she was interviewing in front on a panel for a role in an elite team within one of the top banks. “This guy asked me if I had any plans to get married and have children one day. The HR manager was sitting next to him and nearly fell off her chair.”
So how do you answer questions you hate?
Well, I am a huge believer in rehearsing for an interview – at least three times.  Interview with a friend, a family member, into a mirror or in front of the dog. This helps you get your thoughts clear and connect details of your work history to the key attributes needed to succeed in the job you are chasing. It also really helps to relax you. Get your interview partner to give you feedback on your eye contact, body language, ummms and errs and brevity and relevance of your answers. Also, be genuine. Making stuff up some brings you undone if you get a bunch of follow up questions.
Tell me about yourself?
Answer in no more than a few sentences. Combine a little of the personal with the professional. For example, if going for a call centre job. “I’ was born and grew up in this city, I’m a mad keen gamer and I love to solve problems, which is the reason I was attracted to this role.” Align your answer to the skills and attributes needed for the job.
What are your strengths/Weaknesses?
Again, align your strengths to the job you are going for. With weaknesses, don’t be too cute. People think it is a laugh to say: “chocolate” or “shoes”. If that pops out of your mouth quickly follow up with a real answer. Personally I hate the word “weakness” and use “challenge” but do what comes naturally to you. The key is to pick a “weakness” you are trying to do something about.
Good example, “Like a lot of people I get nervous speaking in front of a crowd but have enrolled in a [beginner’s acting course, public speaking course, Toastmasters] to tackle it.”
Don’t pick a weakness that would be a deal breaker for the job.  For example, “impatience” when interviewing for a receptionist role in a doctor’s office.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
This is my all time most hated question.
The interviewer wants to know how you see yourself developing in their organisation. As the words “skills shortage” are used more frequently in the media and HR circles, employers will be using this question to see if people plan to stay. Replacing people costs money and takes a lot of time.
If you go too big then you could be seen as deluded but showing no ambition can be just as bad. Big advice here is not to use the clichéd answer: “In your job.” I have heard from many managers how much they hate that answer. The common complaint is it sounds arrogant but who knows? Maybe they took the candidate seriously and didn’t like their ambition.
If you have real plans to gain a qualification then throw that in and think through a path of progression.
Also, some plans are better kept to yourself. If your real ambition is to work for yourself or traveling the world as a bar tender come ski instructor then don’t share it.
What are your best and worse answers to these questions? Have you had any other pesky questions at an interview?

Travel map of Europe

Travelling through Europe is one of life's great pleasures. The tourist industry is one of the oldest in the world. It can be measured in millennia not just centuries or years and why wouldn.t it be? It has some of the most scenic terrain in the world. The length of time that civilisation has been established here can only be matched China. So not only does Europe have its natural beauty but also has some long and well established heritage. Being so well established, Europe caters for every type of traveller. Group bookings or loan explorer.

That means there is something for every holiday maker. Europe is made up of over 20 countries. If diversity of culture is what you expect when you travel, Europe has it. If you are looking for lazy summer beaches, Croatia, Greece, Spain and France being some of the hot spots for summer tourism. If you are looking for some of the best skiing in the world, then Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and Slovenia are just few of the countries that offer this type holiday. If you are looking for heritage and culture, Then you will have to consider Italy, with Pompeii being a Mecca for those that have a love for ancient history and as an added bonus you can visit visuvius and marvel and the volcanic landscapes. Interested in bushwalking, natural scenery, green and leafy forests? Then the aboreal forest of northern Europe and the Rocky crags of the Alps and parts of Scotland are where you want to fly to. Take advantage of the cheap flights that are now on offer and get out there and visit Europe.
A good map of Europe is a must when travelling. A good old fashioned map will not run out of batteries like a gps unit will and people are not as likely to steal it. So always carry a map as a backup to your phone or personal gps.

Travel Insurance is a must!

When travelling, even somewhere as relatively safe as Western Europe it is always advisable to get travel insurance. It does not cost a lot really and how much are you willing to pay for a happy holiday and peace of mind? Travelling is something that should be enjoyed and leave you with only good memories. However unforseen things do happen and it is always good to be prepared with travel insurance Europe.
Lets learn something! Europe is the planets second smallest continet by surface area, spanning approximately 10,180,000 square kilometres or about 3,930,000 square miles. Europe takes up about 2% of the worlds surface. This continent is the worlds third most populous, with a population of about 731 million people, about 11% of the world's total population.
The oceans and seas that border it are as follows. The Barents Sea, Arctic Ocean and Norwegian Sea are to the north. The North Sea and Baltic Sea's are more or less in the middle of the map. The Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland and Celtic Sea's are off to the west of the continent. The Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean Sea's lie to the south. The Black and Caspian Sea's lie more or less to the east.
Other naturally ocurring borders are Ural Mountains and the ural River and the Caucus Region (a group of countries, the best known of which are Armenia and Georgia). When planning a vacation to Europe, try and make sure you see as many of those wonderful natural features as possible. Holidaying around Europe is Easy. The tourism in most European countries has been when established for many years. Certain countries like Croatia and Greece rely on tourism to earn a large part of their GDP.

Some Political information about Europe

There are about 50 countries that make up the continent of Europe. The largest being Russia and the smallest being Vatican City. Most countries in Europe belong to the European Union and use the Euro as currency. Click on the links below to learn more about each country.

Other physical features of the continent of Europe

The main rivers are the Danube, Rhine, Volga, Seine, Ural and Loire. The longest being the Danube . The main mountain range's are The Alps, Pyrenees,Ural, Caucus and the Carpathian mountains. The highest mountain in Europe is situated in Russia and is called Mt Elbrus, it is 5642 meters high although the highest in Western Europe is Mt Blanc which is situated in France.
Rail Europe railways criss cross the continent as well as other forms of infrastructure such as Major Highways, Gas pipelines and High Tension Electrical Cables.