10 Step Job Interview Preparation Checklist

10 Step Job Interview Preparation Checklist10 Step Job Interview Preparation ChecklistFor most people, job interviews are inherently nerve-wracking situations. Even if youre a raving extrovert who loves meeting new people, theres something about interviews that ratchets up the tension and stress.The best way to counter the pressure? Be prepared. Knowing what to expect and being ready to make a good first impression will ease your nerves and boost your confidence. Check off the steps on our pre-interview checklist and show the hiring manager that youre the best candidate for the job. 01Get Your Interview Outfit ReadyJaniceRichard/E/Getty ImagesTaking the time to say thank you after a job interview not only is good interview etiquette, it reinforces your interest in the position. Your thank-you letter is also an opportunity to address any issues or concerns that came up during the interview. It may even serve as a second chance to emphasize your qualifications.

Jobs for a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice

Jobs for a Bachelors Degree in Criminal JusticeJobs for a Bachelors Degree in Criminal JusticeOne of the most important factors involved withchoosing a college major is the potential for employment in a satisfying career when you finish school. If youre interested in learningabout crime and punishment, you might wonder what you cando with a degree in criminal justice. More than 3 1000000 people in the U.S. have already made the choice to enter this field. The Difference Between Criminology and Criminal Justice First, its important to understandthat criminologyand criminal justice degree programs are not the same thing. The two fields are related and they do overlap in someimportant ways, but theyreseparate concepts. Yourcareer goals shoulddetermine which you choose as your field of study. Criminology is the study of crime and its causes, costs, and consequences.Criminal justice is theordnungsprinzip in which crime is detected and dealt with. In other words, criminology is the the ory and criminal justice is the practical application. A number ofjob optionsand career paths existfor those who seeka degree in criminal justice. Most arefoundin the public sector, either in law enforcement, the court system,or the corrections system. Law Enforcement CareerOptions A criminal justice degree is a great way to lay the foundation for a successful careerinlaw enforcement. Thisdegree can prepare graduates for work as assekuranzbrief officers, detectives, investigators, or police dispatchers. Not all law enforcement careers requireacollege degree, but it can still be very beneficial to earnone before you begina career. Someemployers additionallyrequire knowledge or experience in the natural sciences, such as biology and physics, at least in some positions. Aminor in science and a major in criminal justice or vice versa might be the ticket in these cases. Criminal justice majors who are interested in other law enforcement work can look forward tocareers incrime scene i nvestigation and forensic science. This can include jobs as a forensic science technician, a bloodstain pattern analyst, or a forensic ballistics expert. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for police officers and detectives welches $61,600 in 2016, the last year for which comprehensive statistics are available. Median means that half of those working in this field earned more than $61,600 and half earned less. More than 53,000 law enforcement jobs are expected to be added by 2026. Careers in the Court System The court system is where the innocence or guilt of an individual is decided and where punishment is determined. Itoffers a diverse field of jobs within criminal justice, all of which serve very important roles in ensuring the fairness andsafety of the legal system. Some careers in the courtsystem include BailiffProsecutorDefense attorneyVictims advocateParalegalLegal secretaryJury consultantCourt clerk The roles ofprosecutor, defense attorney, or ju ry consultant all require advanced schooling, either a graduate degree or a law school and can require further certification like passing the bar. But other careers such asbailiff or paralegalrequire only some additional training and certification or a two-year associates degree. Pay varies considerably in the court system depending on the job and the education required. The median pay for a lawyer welches $118,160 in 2016, while paralegals earned median compensation of $49,500, according to the BLS. Careers in Corrections The corrections system carries out the punishments that have been determined by the courts. Penalties and sentences can include fines, restitution, incarceration,probation, orparole. Some corrections careers available to criminal justice majors include positions as correctional officers, probation and community control officers, or forensic psychologists. Some jobs in corrections dont require any college at all whileothers,such as those inforensic psychology, require graduate-level schooling. In eithercase, earning a criminal justice degreecan help those interested in working in corrections iftheywant to move up in their careers. This is another area where pay can vary widely. Jobs that require a graduate degree tend to pay at least twice what others do. The median pay for a psychologist was $75,230 in 2016, according to the BLS. The Job Outlook for Criminal Justice Careers The job outlook for most jobs in criminology and criminal justicehas historically been promising even in tough economic times. Communities recognize the need for well-trained law enforcement and corrections professionals, so many cities, counties, and municipalitiesmake it a point to keep officers on the streets and guarding the prisons even when theyre facing budgeting constraints. Law enforcement is always a priority. The courts alsoreceive a great deal of support from their communities, counties, and states,ensuring that jobs are available more often than not. The Rewards of Working in Criminal Justice Jobs Careers in criminal justice offer a measure of stability not found in allsectors. They typically offer competitive salaries andgenerous retirement benefits. These, of course, are just a few of the many benefits of earning a degree in criminal justice. And, of course, if working in the public sector is not for you, numerous private sector careers are available as well for those with degrees in criminal justice, from security and private investigation to teaching. Beyond the job security and the potential for a comfortable life after retirement, careers in criminal justice provide the intangible satisfaction of knowing that youre working to make a difference in the world. If these career options dont get you excited, learn more about other great jobs in criminology and criminal justice.

Why We Hate Performance Reviews and How to Improve Them

Why We Hate Performance Reviews and How to Improve ThemWhy We Hate Performance Reviews and How to Improve ThemLets face it no one likes the annual performance review.No one. Reviewers (managers) hate doing them, employees hate getting them, and human resources hate administering them. Each year there is at least one book and countless articles about why they should be banned or fixed. This has been going as long as we can remember, and it seems little improvement has been made. What is it about this annual corporate bung that seems to cause such consternation and pain? And mora importantly, can it be fixed? We hate to be a pessimist, but after studying the topic of performance reviews for more than 25 years, numerous attempts to reinvent or fix broken systems, being on the receiving end and giving end of hundreds of reviews andmaking every mistake that can be made, weve come to the conclusion that performance reviewswill alwaysbe a less than enjoyable experience for all involved. Why ? First, lets put the inevitable reasons employees, managers, and HR hate them on the table that just cant be fixed and accept them as givens. Then, lets talk about how we can, at last, make the processless painful.Why we hate performance reviews givens that we just need to suck it up and accept Human Nature People hate having their flaws pointed out and managers hate giving negative feedback. But wait, dont all of the studies say people want and love feedback? Sure they do, as long as itspositivefeedback. When we receive feedback that challenges our assumptions about ourselves, we automatically go into a protective fight or flight survival mode. We deny, get angry, get defensive, or withdraw. No artist likes getting a negative critical review, no restaurant owner likes getting a critical TripAdvisor review, and no employee likes hearingtheir flaws pointed out by their manager. And unless the manager is a sadist and enjoys inflicting pain, fruchtwein managers really dont enjoy d elivering bad news to their employees. In fact, most people, in general, dont enjoy giving negative feedback. Thats whyanonymous 360 assessment reviewsare so popular because they give people an opportunity to say what they really feel without having to be confronted or questioned. The Formality and Bureaucracy Typical performance reviews involve a prescribed process, forms, and a formal discussion. Its often not the actual discussion that employees (and managers) find painful, its the stiffness and feeling like you are being forced to comply with something that youd rather not have to do. Its Extra Work Everyone is terminally busy unterstellung days, in fact, we always have been. We work hard and hope to see positive results. The annual review comes along and it feels like extra work that gets in the way of our real work. Managers, especially managers with a lot of direct reports, spend endless hours filling out forms, writing comments, reviewing records, conducting discussi ons (sometimes in multiple meetings), and submitting paperwork. Employees are often asked to do self-assessments and to be prepared to defend themselves, and HR ends up with an impossible mountain of paperwork that needs to be in compliance with all kinds of state and federal regulations. Okay, so if we can just accept that performance reviews can involve negative feedback, are a required part of working life, and will involve some extra work that isnt particularly fulfilling, do we have to hate them, or are there some ways we can make them less painful than a root canal? Absolutely Here are three simple ways to make performance reviews less painful Eliminate Surprises People hate negative feedback most the first time they hear it, or when its about something they were clueless about (blind spots). The way to minimize the pain of hearing about weaknesses for the first time during the annual performance review is to get into the habit of giving and asking for feedback on a regula r basis. When feedback is given and received early, often, specifically, and in a balanced way, employees have time to process it and do something about it. Managers can create an environment that encourages the two-way exchange of informal feedback in a way thatbuilds trustand eliminates surprises. Better yet, create systems where employees can measure and monitor their own performance. For example, no manager has to point out to a sales rep that they are having a bad month. They already are painfully aware that they are not meeting their sales goals, and are scrambling to finds ways to improve. Thats when a sales manager can providevaluable coachingin order to help the sales rep get back on track. Get Better at Giving and Receiving Feedback The more skilled we are, the more comfortable we will get with it. See How to Get Candid Feedback and How to Give Feedback. Simplify the Process Why are performance reviews so darn complicated? Ive seen versions that include 14-page for ms and a series of three meetings. Its usually because they are designed by well-intended HR departments (or consultants, or lawyers) that attempt to address every aspect of performance management in a single form and process. The solution? Its not fancy software systems that only automate (and sometimes further complicate) a bad process. I would recommenda singlepage or no more than two pages - for a performance review form. Ive seen this implemented and its been received very well by managers, employees, and HR. Implement these three relatively simple fixes and your annual performance review may still feel like a trip to the dentist, but more like teeth cleaning, instead of an excruciating root canal.