Facing 50 questions for every job interview

Facing 50 questions for every job interviewFacing 50 questions for every job interviewMichigan job seeker Connie Corwin grew tired of being stumped on interviews, so she made herbeibei own prep list of questions and answers for every eventuality.Getting a job interview turned out to be less of a hurdle than Connie Corwin expected when she began her first job search in three decades.Corwin, a member of OpsLadder, had not experienced an interview in more than 30 years. She had only known one employer, General Motors, where she had started after high school, working her way up to operations manager in the powertrain division at a manufacturing plant near Flint, Mich.Corwin said she decided to leave in 2010 before outside forces made the decision for her. She had her resume professionally rewritten, recruiters were returning her phone calls, and she welches getting job interviews. It was what happened once she entered the interview room that stymied her at every turn.I would be asked dur ing an interview, Tell me about yourself, and I wasnt sure what to say, and I would give a really long answer that was very broad, she recalled. I gave the interviewer more information than they wanted or needed.She stumbled through the answers on several interviews before concluding that she needed to prepare every answer for every question she might possibly face. I needed to have specifics, instead of talking in broad themes and vague descriptions.Corwin searched online for sample interview questions she read books by human-resources experts and she relied on her own experiences to develop a list of the 50 interview questions she was most likely to face on any given job interview, including Why did you leave your last job? What did you like most about your job?and How would your boss describe you? She then answered every question and practiced every response.I spent quite a bit of time trying to communicate what it was the interviewer wanted to know, Corwin said. When they aske d, Why did you leave your last job? I knew they wanted to hear my thought process in making this huge decision to leave my job in a tough economy. My response was to explain all the things about my previous position that said to me it was time to move on and what I hoped to tackle in my next job.Another question that she had stumbled on in early interviews was, What were some of the important things you accomplished in your last job? To answer that one, Corwin looked at her resume, pulled out key areas where she had led her gruppe to success, and explained why those successes were important to the company.I did the bullet-point thing (verbally), she said. I did a two-sentence summary of whatever I was talking about, named some important skills, and then quickly summarized. You can only hold peoples attention for so long. I timed myself so I could answer a question in two minutes.Corwin credited her interview-prep method with preparing her for job interviews that eventually led to mu ltiple job offers, including one for a plant-manager position at an aerospace components manufacturer in Seattle.The 10-page document she created went with her on every interview. The night before an interview, I would start at the beginning and read through every question. I didnt memorize it, but I would read it like you would read a story.During an interview with a single company, Corwin said, she would be asked at least 60 percent of the questions on her list. I couldnt imagine a question they would come up with that I wouldnt have a response for, she said. Its a great list. Some people like to wing it, but I like to be prepared.

Sailing Above and Below Water to Generate Power

Sailing Above and Below Water to Generate Power Sailing Above and Below Water to Generate Power Sailing Above and Below Water to Generate PowerThere are times when the simplest of solutions remains hidden in plain sight. That is the scenario Hans Dysarsz is facing in his quest to flesh out and commercialize a system of renewable energy so simple he says it does not even qualify as new technology. It is based on the reaction ferry propulsion approach, thought to be first described by Leonardo da Vinci, where a ferry boat tethered to an upstream cable moves from one river bank to the opposite side simply from the kinetic energy of flowing water.That kinetic energy could be harvested using a lighter array of foils, similar to a ships sails, moving above or below the water. If placed above the water, the foil would operate with wind if placed below the water line, it would move from the flow. Either way, it would produce electricity generated from mechanical energy in the form of the pul ling action of the foil, which would be used to drive generators.People have simply overlooked this, says Dysarsz of the concept. This is a very simple way for kinetic energy to be turned into usable mechanical energy, and it is clean. But forget clean. It is simply cheaper.Reaction ferries have operated in Canada for over 100 years. Dysarsz studied one on the Fraser River in Lytton, British Columbia, that operates in extreme conditions, including ice flows and logs. Based on the season, it operates with up to a 50-foot water level change and flow changes from 1,500 cubic meters per second to over 12,000 c/m/s. Its operating costs are negligible.Schematic of a Reaction Ferry kinetic energy conversion system. Image Da Vinci EnergyDysarsz, a pilot by training who calls himself a closet engineer, says the idea of using a reaction ferry as a source of power generation was a complete fluke. Flying throughout Alaska and Canadas northwest exposed him to the few reaction ferries still used in British Columbia. He claims small systems of 1,000 Watts could be built by virtually anyone using basic tools and materials. Systems of up to 10,000 Watts could be built by semi-skilled workers using off-the-shelf components. Further, the system could pull about 1 MW to 1.5 MW from river or ocean flow using a similarbut more robust design,he says.The Hydrokinetic Shuttle Foil approach is obscure, but some research has been done by Canadian universities and the National Research Council of Canada. Mechanical engineering students at the University of Victoria recently conducted a modeling program for a wind shuttle foil system. In 2016, Dysarsz tested the system at a water flume of Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Inc., in North Vancouver, British Columbia.Dysarsz, who founded Da Vinci Energy, Inc. in Vancouver to develop the system, says the tests were successful. Using a foil array in very slow flows of .32 to .55 meters per second with a shuttle velocity of .5 meters per second, it produced 16.6 pounds of static thrust, he says. We thought we would get five to six, he adds. The tests also generated six volts of power and one amp, using wheel barrow ball bearings, not exactly low friction, he notes.To adapt the system to produce energy, a number of foils would attach to a cable strung above or below a river, similar to clothes on a clothes line. The wind or current would move them back and forth, and the mechanical energy captured and converted to electricity with generators placed on shore. Dysarsz says it could be adapted for the ocean, with the foils operating between barges anchored to the ocean floor, similar to what is done in offshore oil and gas development. At that scale, it could produce megawatts of energy, he claims.It amounts to a bedsheet on a clothes line, he says. The turning action of the pulley provides mechanical energy. You just have to apply 21st century controls and materials.The schemes basic simplicity makes it attractive, especially in isolated areas or the developing world. We want to get it out to who really needs it, and at a reasonable cost, says Dysarsz, noting it could be adapted to a range of water flow, providing enough power to turn an Archimedes screw for irrigation. The cost would be cheap.Curran Crawford is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Victoria with a hintergrund in wind energy and who oversaw a modeling project of the technology. He calls the concept interesting but cautions that much more work needs to be done to research and refine the engineering.From a raw technology perspective, wind systems look the same, he says. The foil approach differs from wind turbines with rotors as the outer part of the rotor is doing more of the generation. With a foil, the whole piece is doing the work. This needs more on detailed engineering. We havent had the funding to delve into more detail.Other rotorless wind systems are in development in various countries, including on e using gliders tethered to the ground, notes Crawford. Others are working with kites, both in the sky and underwater, tethered to the ocean floor. Researchers at Worcester Polytechnical University have been working on a concept know as TUSK-Tethered Undersea Kite. The scheme uses a rigid-wing kite fitted with an axial-flow turbine attached to the floor with a tether. As it flys through the current, electricity is generated and transmitted to a floating buoy and on to the power grid. Velocity and the generated power are increased because the mounted turbine is in motion, and not fixed.Both have the promise of producing extremely cheap power. Based on known installed costs for reaction ferries worldwide, Dysarsz says cent per kWh is feasible, and could be lower for ocean current or tidal installations. That can also provide a cheap way to produce hydrogen or compressed air, notes Dysarsz. It also poses little to no environmental impact. The foils move slowly enough to allow birds or fish to pass and there is no need to dam a river.Dysarsz hopes to develop the technology as a nonprofit. Based on projections for delivering inexpensive electricity, he believes it is both ideal for developing nations and could be potentially taken a step or two further to produce hydrogen or compressed air. Both could be used for clean energy development.Maximizing its potential is probably tied to ocean or tidal development. Theres so much energy in ocean or tidal flows, it could easily be ramped up, he says. You dont need to put this anywhere near where people live.Cheap energy fuels economics, says Dysarsz. This is potentially disruptive. For Further Discussion It amounts to a bedsheet on a clothes line. The turning action of the pulley provides mechanical energy. You just have to apply 21st century controls and materials. Hans Dysarcz, Da Vinci Energy, Inc.

Everyone Counts in Job Search Mode

Everyone Counts in Job Search ModeEveryone Counts in Job Search ModeEveryone Counts in Job Search ModeAt a recent picnic, my wife and I struck up a conversation with a young man who welches walking around with his Nikon camera, taking pictures of everyone.Since one of my hobbies is photography and my favorite camera is a Nikon, instantaneously he welches my new best friend. In having our conversation, I found out that he welches a recent college graduate with a degree in construction management. He graduated with honors. However, he had not been successful in getting a job since graduating.Since I have a daughter that graduated that same year and is gainfully employed within herbei major, I wanted to talk to him in more depth.Is your message coherent?So after the initial conversation, I asked a few simple questions what are you looking for?Tell me about you. That is where it derailed.His response was all over the map. While he was looking for an entry-level position, his passion was photography. Then it was back to his major and as they say on and on.This went on a while as I listened till he stopped talking. When he did, I said we have to talk. I told him my background and then proceeded to tell him the importance of having a pitch and to stay on point.Not only that, I had contacts within the construction industry that I could connect him to. But first he needed to work on HIS presentationNever discount anyoneThis reminded me of a story that a career consultant friend of mine told me. There was a senior-level executive in New York who was laid off during the latest recession. After a while of trying to find another job, she decided to go back home to the Midwest to take a break. One day she decides to spend the morning with her grandmother.As the both of them were having coffee, her grandmother asked her about her job search and what she was looking to do. Since this question came from her grandmother, she kind of sidestepped it. She figured her grandmother wo uld not be of any help.When her grandmother persisted, she finally told her that there was this particular company that she really wanted to work for but was not having any luck in connecting with anyone there. She noticed her grandmother staring away as if trying to remember something. Just then, she excused herself from the room and came back with her phone book.As she looked through her phone book, her granddaughter looked on puzzled. Finally, she asked her what she was looking for. She told her that her bridge partners granddaughter works for that company and is one of their senior executives. After a phone call, she came back and gave her granddaughter a phone number and told her to call the young lady. Within a few weeks, she had an interview, and within a month, she was employed with her dream company.Everyone counts in job search modeThe moral of the story is that while in job search mode, everyone you come in contact with has the potential to land you that job. You must per fect your pitch. This is your advertisement and you must make it work.It is called the 2-minute pitch, but it does not have to be two minutes.My suggestion to my friend is this. Spend some time in front of the mirror perfecting your pitch as to who you are, what you are looking for, and why a company should hire you. If it is two minutes fine, if not, and you still get your point across, even better.Use every opportunity whether at a cookout, on your commute, or basically anywhere you engage in conversation to get in your pitch. Use every opportunity to describe the package that you bring to the table. It is critical to your career search and will increase your visibility and influence.So, next time you are at an event, everyone that is there could be the one that enables you to make the connection. Dont discount anyone.About the AuthorTodays post is written by Ron Thomas (pictured), a human resources professional with more than 15 years of experience, including roles with Martha St ewart Living and IBM. He was recently named to the Expert Advisory Council on Talent Management Strategy at the Human Capital Institute in Washington, D.C. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Workforce Management, Chief Learning Officer magazine and Crains New York Business.Recently, he was named to the HR Hall of Fame by HR Network of New York. Rons blog, StrategyFocusedHR, focuses on human resources from a strategic perspective.