Why Bookkeepers and Accountants with Certification Have an Advantage

The accounting profession is booming, no doubt about it. In fact, it’s growing at such a quick clip that the Bureau of Labor estimates that by 2008 accounting jobs will have increased by 20%. They say: “In addition to openings resulting from growth, the need to replace accountants and auditors who retire, or transfer to other occupations, will produce numerous openings in this large occupation.”

If you are a bookkeeper or accountant, you count as part of the talent pool from which countless businesses will look to fill gaps in their organizations. Isn’t it wonderful to be in demand? And recent corporate scandals have caused many businesses to look for bookkeepers and accountants they can trust, and typically that implies certification. In a recent press release Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of staffing agency Robert Half International, said, “The ability to build upon one’s knowledge base is critical for next generation accountants. They must dedicate themselves to continuing education, including the pursuit of additional certifications, in order to move forward in their careers.”

Do you have trusted credentials? If not, it’s time to increase your value to current and potential employers by earning a designation that will enable you to move forward in your career.

Earn the Professional Bookkeeper Designation and Earn a Promotion!

Many programs require you take months, if not years, to earn some sort of professional certification. UAC graduate, Scott Irvins, wanted formal accounting training and decided to do something unusual; he went to a local university to get an associates degree in accounting and he took Universal Accounting’s Professional Bookkeeper course. After all that, Scott felt UAC provided more comprehensive accounting training in less time. He explained, “The Universal Accounting course — we were done in 4 weeks. I knew everything we needed to do was getting started. As to the other one [University coursework], in that four weeks I hadn’t even finished the first class yet, and 18 months later I finally had little piece of paper that says I have a degree in computerized accounting. But from the get-go with Accounting Center, their training was fast and simple. In looking at both, it was actually more comprehensive than the 18 month class. We had to do the entire extra general education things, and they broke the training up into little pieces, where in Universal Accounting Center you got the whole picture and you got to do it all in four weeks. It was great.”

The Professional Bookkeeper Program better prepares bookkeepers for their job requirements by training them in full bookkeeper and accounting services. Upon completion, qualified students receive the PB designation, assuring potential employers and clients that these UAC graduates are qualified to take care of the small business owner’s bookkeeping needs. In less than 60 hours you too can earn the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Designation and develop an expertise in small business accounting. Don’t wait to improve your career. Enroll today!

A List of Do’s and Don’ts

Often a work environment can make or break a job opportunity. If you find that one difficult coworker is making your current position a nightmare, you may need a few tips to help you better deal with your work situation. In our last newsletter we gave you the following five do’s and don’ts in dealing with difficult coworkers:

1. Do examine yoursel.
2. Don’t avoid your feelings
3. Do confide in a friend or family membe.
4. Don’t gossip
5. Do consider your options

This week we’ll wrap up the series by sharing the final five:

6. Don’t avoid the problem
We promise that ignoring the problem will never make it disappear. As unfortunate as the situation may be, you will have to address it in order to resolve the problem. But that requires some forethought. First consider the following: Is the coworker approachable? Does your employer have a conflict resolution process in place? Is this issue less about the coworker and more about you standing up for yourself? Once you pinpoint the actual problem and potential approaches you’ll be better prepared to actually resolve it.

7. Do confront the coworker
You may be tempted to talk to your colleagues or even your supervisor about the difficult coworker. But the truth is it’s unfair to approach anyone else before approaching the person with whom you’re struggling. Make sure you’ve thought through your talking points before engaging with the difficult coworker. And what is the best environment for this discussion? Should you treat the coworker to lunch? Should you schedule a time in your conference room? Is it appropriate to meet in your office or cubicle? You don’t want the situation to escalate by approaching your coworker in a public environment that leaves him/her feeling vulnerable.

And be thoughtful as you prepare for this conversation. Remember that your response to this coworker is currently your problem; you don’t want to attack your coworker by pointing out his/her faults. Open the discussion by telling the coworker that you have a problem (not them, you). Then describe the problem using non-threatening terms. (For example, “In staff meeting, you often interrupt me when I’m sharing my thoughts or opinions.”) Then tell the coworker how you feel about their behavior. (For example, “When that happens I feel I cannot contribute to this organization as I should. I also feel as if you do not respect me.”) Explain that you want to have a good relationship with this coworker and hope they feel the same way. This opening may enable you to have a production discussion. If you find the conversation moving from bad to worse, excuse yourself and consider other alternatives.

8. Don’t take the low road
Regardless of what happens you will not improve the situation by speaking poorly of this coworker. Always take the high road and avoid name calling, belittling, backbiting, and gossiping.

9. Do involve others, if necessary
If you’ve approached this coworker with little effect and find that their behavior continues to impede your work, you may have to involve your supervisor. Again as difficult as it may be you must avoid emotion when discussing this coworker; also steer clear of derogatory descriptions of their troubling behavior. As much as possible, base your discussion on succinct, factual descriptions.

10. Don’t expect poor treatment
Regardless of what happens you should never come to expect poor treatment. If a coworker continues to abuse or mistreat you, there may come a time when you must file a complaint or quit your job; no position is worth enduring a negative work environment.

Your relationships with coworkers can make your job a joy, or it can make it miserable. When you find yourself struggling with a colleague it is important to address the situation immediately rather than waiting to see if it goes away. Using these 10 tips you should quickly come to an understanding of how to better deal with difficult coworkers.

A List of Do’s and Don’ts

A job is so much more enjoyable when you like the people you work with. Unfortunately, there’s usually a bad apple in every bunch, and sometimes that difficult coworker can make your job more difficult. From Chatty Cathy’s to White-Collar Bullies, there are lots of personality types that can cause conflict in the workplace. But there is something you can do about it. Here are 10 do’s and don’ts that will help you deal with difficult coworkers:

1. Do examine yourself
First and foremost, examine yourself. Do you often experience difficulty with coworkers? Are you struggling with individuals that no one else has taken issue with? If you find that you are constantly butting heads with colleagues then it’s a good idea to do some reflection and determine if you are the common denominator in these situations. If you are, it’s time to work through some personal issues that may be causing the conflict.

2. Don’t avoid your feelings
Whenever there’s conflict and tension in the workplace it can take a toll on you emotionally. Acknowledge your feelings so that they don’t sneak up on you later and reveal themselves in an emotional outburst at work. Recognize that what you’re experiencing is important and needs to be addressed.

3. Do confide in a friend or family member
This will help you process your feelings. Sometimes when we’re involved in a work-related conflict it can be difficult to maintain a realistic perspective as the tension begins to warp our view. Talking with an objective third party can help with that. Not to mention you may also get some good advice on dealing with the problematic coworker.

4. Don’t gossip
Avoid gossiping at all costs; complaining to your colleagues about the individual won’t make things any better. All it does is generate negative energy that will cause your bad feelings to build. And the last thing you want is for your nemesis to catch wind of your water cooler moments and then use them against you.

5. Do consider your options
There are lots of ways to deal with a difficult coworker; the important thing to remember is you must deal with it. You can confront the individual, standup to the individual when appropriate, publicly call them out on their behavior, or have a heart-to-heart with him/her. You have lots of options and should consider the pros and cons of each before you act.

It can be discouraging to work with an individual who is causing tension or discomfort for you in the workplace. But you must always remember that you can influence the course of your life, and that includes dealing with a difficult coworker. Come back next week when we’ll talk about the following:

6. Don’t avoid the problem
7. Do confront the coworker
8. Don’t take the low road
9. Do involve others, if necessary
10. Don’t expect poor treatment

10 Tips on Handling Bad, Bossy Behavior

Chances are you’re going to encounter a difficult boss at some point in your career. Struggles with your boss can seep into your personal life, causing you to stress about your job even when you’re not in the office. It’s important that you develop a few coping skills so that you can handle such situations with composure and ease. Here are 10 tips to better manage a difficult boss:

1. Evaluate your own performance.

Perhaps your boss has been critical of your work. Or maybe the struggles you’re experiencing have more to do with bad chemistry than a flawed supervisor. Step back and evaluate your own performance and behavior with a critical eye. Is there something you’re doing to contribute to the problem? Are some of your boss’s criticisms valid? If necessary, take ownership for your role in the poor relationship and take steps to improve what you can.

2. Do good work.

Don’t give a bad boss any ammunition. Do the best work you can. This includes fulfilling your assignments, working as a team player, and participating in good communication.

3. Consider what you want.

Is the situation bad enough for you to leave? Or do you expect that things will improve after some time has passed? Evaluate the situation and weigh it against all the pros and cons. It may be worth looking for work elsewhere.

4. Discuss rather than confront.

It may be necessary to talk with your boss about what you view to be unfair and, possibly, abusive behavior. When you do meet with him/her, ensure that you discuss rather than confront. Approaching the situation offensively will generally make it negative and combative. Have discussion points ready and back up statements with concrete examples.

5. Don’t get emotional.

And when you do talk with your boss, check your emotions at the door. Becoming emotional is unprofessional and will generally escalate the discussion into a heated debate where things become personal and, often, hurtful.

6. Have a backup plan.

If you plan to discuss the situation and the need for improvement, you need to have a hard and fast backup plan; it’s difficult to have leverage with your boss if you have no other options. If you’re serious about seeing changes in the workplace, you must be willing to leave if your boss shoots you down. Having a job offer from another organization is a great form of leverage.

7. Don’t engage in negative behavior.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because your boss exhibits bad behavior doesn’t justify you following suit. Try to be as upbeat as possible, ignoring your boss’s bad behavior while complimenting good behavior.

8. Go through the proper chain of command.

You’re only a tattletale when you complain to upper management instead of first approaching your boss. While it’s not unreasonable to move up the chain of command once you’ve gotten no response from your boss, it’s unfair to everyone involved if you don’t at least attempt reconciliation with your supervisor first.

9. Rally the troops.

Perhaps you’re not the only one frustrated with your boss’s behavior. While it’s unprofessional to gang up on a boss, it is reasonable to point out a common frustration and suggest ways of improving it. And your boss might recognize the validity of a complaint voiced by more than one employee.

10. Document everything.

If you decide to stay, it’s not a bad idea to properly document your boss’s misbehavior in case the situation escalates to a showdown before upper management. If you’ve documented everything, you’ll be able to argue your side without getting emotional. A paper trail is much more professional than a public display of your frustrations.

It’s never fun to deal with a difficult boss, but if you take measures to temper the situation, chances are things will get better for everyone involved.

How to Design this Powerful Marketing Tool

Business cards for success”The business card . . . is kind of an extension of yourself. It’s a little bit of giving yourself to someone else.” Ken Erdman, founder of the Business Card Museum, Erenheim, PA.

The most effective and least expensive marketing tool is literally at your fingertips. What is it? The business card. Just 3½ inches long and 2 inches wide, this small piece of cardstock packs a marketing punch when properly designed and distributed. Not only is it economical, but it’s low-tech, compact, and can have a lasting impact on those you give them to. But how can you be sure that your card will stand out while giving potential clients all the information they need?
Getting Ideas

The first thing you should do is look at other business cards. Thumb through those you have received or surf the internet to view sample cards online. Find a handful that appeal to you. What do you like about them? How do they stand out? Is the information clear and easy to find? Are there extra creative touches that you like? Maybe there’s a wow factor you’d like to incorporate on your own card. Keep these memorable business cards in mind as you design your own.

As you create the card that best represents you and your business, remember these three simple tips on business card design:
1. Make it clear

The recipient of your card should have no question as to what you do and how you can be contacted. There is critical information that should be included on every business card: your name, job title, business name, address, phone number(s), fax, email address, website URL, tagline (or slogan), product(s) and/or service(s) offered. With all this information, it’s important that the card display the information clearly. Keep fonts consistent, and remember that whatever graphic elements you want to include, content is king.
2. Make it concise

Remember, a business card is small. If you pack it with too much information, it will be cluttered and, quite possibly, illegible. If you decide to include more than what’s absolutely required, be sure it’s done in good taste and with an economy of words. And don’t trust your own judgment alone. Having designed the card yourself, you may not be objective enough to recognize flaws. Request that a second and possibly a third-party proofread the card and give honest feedback.
3. Make it unforgettable

Typically personal business cards for many professions are encouraged to be clean and minimalist. You have a bit more leeway when creating a card representing your small business. A card for your small business can be seen as an opportunity to promote your brand. The look and feel you choose should coordinate with current promotions you’re running. It should also reflect the image you want to project to potential clients. Considering all that, you should also make it stand out. Below are some creative ideas you might consider in making your business card unforgettable.
Other creative ideas

Rotarize. Create a business card the recipient can easily transfer from a wallet to a rolodex. Rotary business cards have the upraised tabs containing your business name and notches in the bottom for easy fit in a rolodex.

Make it useful. Provide information (generally on the flip-side) that many potential contacts will find useful and will frequently refer to. A popular choice is to include a calendar, but remember you want to stand out. Consider information that is accounting-related.

Include testimonials. If you’re thinking of ways to utilize the flip-side of your business card, consider including a testimonial or two.

Add incentive. Give the recipient a reason to keep and use your business card, perhaps by including some type of discount in small print.

Give it magnetic appeal. Turn your business card into a magnet. A small business will likely stick it to a filing cabinet only to be remembered when in need of your services.

Once you’ve decided how to approach your business card, start designing. And if you need a credential or two to help your card stand out, consider one of these:

UAC’s QuickBooks Specialist Designation
Become a QuickBooks Specialist and enhance your resume and your services all at the same time. By mastering the accounting software that over 80% of small businesses use, you could increase your client base by offering setup and consultation services. Not only that but you’ll help your clients prepare their data in a way that becomes even more useful to you.

5 Ways to Ensure Your Resume Makes the Proper Impression

You’ve probably heard a lot of tips about creating the perfect resume, but have you read about the most common mistakes? There are some things you can do that will ensure that your resume won’t go in the slush pile. And here are five:

1. Avoid long-winded prose
Some may believe that wordy text, especially written in first-person, will sound friendlier and more appealing than the sterile appearance of bulleted lists. The truth is, when potential employers are looking over your resume they want facts, not frill. They expect to experience your personality in the job interview not on your resume. The easier it is to find crucial information, the better. Bulleted lists enable potential employers to quickly scan resumes and find what they’re looking for.

2. Make sure your educational information is clear
While it’s important to make your resume as concise as possible, there is such a thing as over-abbreviating your educational information. Remember to include the school, city and state, and the time you attended. If you did not receive a degree, clarify how many credits you earned and in what area of focus. There’s also a rash of falsified-resumes going around; ensure that every detail you include on your resume is true and complete. Not doing so can cause you (and your employer) a lot of difficulty in the end.

3. Focus on accomplishments
Many resumes are duty-oriented rather than accomplishment-oriented. The truth is potential employers are more interested in what you have accomplishment than completed tasks. As you review your employment and educational history consider what you have accomplished and make a point to include those things on your resume.

4. Avoid overused resume templates
While you may think the resume template you’ve chosen is innovative and eye-catching, remember that potential employers see a lot more resumes than you do. Even if you choose a template you should change it up a little and make it your own.

5. Include key words
Remember that a resume is your opportunity to market yourself and your skills. The potential employer is your audience. Look at the job posting as you craft your resume and include key words they used to publicize the opening. As you use those key words to highlight your skills and abilities they will appreciate both your attention to their needs and the manner in which you showcase your employability. Not to mention, you will appear well-suited for the job.

Your resume is the first look many potential employers will get of you and your skills. You don’t want to eliminate yourself by making simple mistakes that have become fairly common. In attending to the five details above, you could get your resume the attention it deserves.

You Bet!

Victoria Richardson started her business in January of 2004, and has seen incredibly rapid growth and profit ever since. She only spent the first 6 weeks marketing. Since then, she has had all the clients she can handle. In fact, she tells us that she has had to cut down to “only” 18 clients so that she has the quality time that she wants to spend with her children. Victoria is a stay-at-home mom and Professional Bookkeeper.

USA Today notes that while there are no statistics on the number of work-at-home moms (WAHM), the National Association of Women Business Owners reports that there are more than 10 million female-owned businesses in the USA. Many of those are run by stay-at-home moms who manage their businesses and take care of their children from the comfort of their own homes.

Perhaps you’ve wanted to return home to raise your kids but have worried about losing that stable income. But there’s no need to worry. Accounting is a lucrative profession that can easily be done while taking care of your family. Just ask Victoria.

Victoria Richardson, AAHM (Accounting-at-Home Mom)

At the time Victoria started her own accounting business she had two young children: ages one and two months. She was having ethical conflicts with her employer and had reached a point where she wanted something different.

As she considered her options Victoria said:

. . . my list of wants and needs included: complete flexibility to be able to be with my children when they needed me, if they were sick, or something had come up where they needed to spend time with me. I needed to be making at least $60,000 a year. I needed to be able to have a lot of flexibility, and wanted to work an abbreviated work week. And what I found was that … there was nothing out there that was willing to give me that package. . . . I discovered that the only option that was available for me was to be able to start my own business.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

But Victoria knew she needed more practical education. She had a bachelor’s degree in business, but didn’t feel she had the confidence to manage the accounts of multiple clients without hands-on training. So she decided to enroll in Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program; it would give her the flexibility she needed to finish the course quickly and at her own pace.

When she was close to completing the course, she decided to quit her full-time job and become an independent contractor. Her ex-employer became her first client, and within 6 weeks she had enough clients that she could stop marketing.

Victoria feels like she has the edge and doesn’t worry about competition.

I know what they want to hear. I know what’s going to make them feel comfortable, and I know what their concerns are. And the Universal Accounting Courses taught . . . a lot of it has to do with . . . it’s semantics . . . it’s the language that you present it in. When I talk to them about increasing their profitability, they listen. It makes sense to them. I can feel confident in helping them discover what problem areas they have, and what ways they can work through that, so it’s not a situation where I feel like, you know, anybody else is coming in and giving them that because, unfortunately, that’s what they’re looking for and they’re not finding it anywhere. I can come in and do it, and I can do it and save them money.

The PB Program not only teaches you practical, day-to-day accounting for the small business, but it also trains you on marketing your unique skill-set. It gives you the edge over the competition so that you can feel confident in your ability to provide a better service for your clients.

More information on the Professional Bookkeeper Program

References

“Job Opening? Work-at-Home Moms Fill the Bill” by Stephanie Armour, USA Today

The Second Half of Our Self-Employability Quiz

If you’ve ever considered becoming a freelance accountant you need to ask yourself some serious questions before taking the plunge. There are a lot of variables to consider when becoming self-employed, and very few of them have to do with your accounting skills. Last week we posed the following five questions:

1. Are you self-motivated?
2. Are you a go-getter?
3. Are you organized?
4. Are you flexible?
5. Can you manage uncertainty?

This week we’ll talk about the final five questions of our self-employability quiz:

6. Are you patient?
Most likely you won’t have a flood of clients come through your door as soon as you hang your shingle. Building a solid client base will take time, and you will need to exercise patience throughout the entire process. There are other things that may require your patience as well: going full-time with your business, having enough money to hire staff employees, and collecting payment from some of your clients.

7. Can you promote yourself?
When it comes to contract work you must be able to promote yourself. Clients won’t come and find you; you must find them first and then illustrate why your services are better than any others being offered. Not only must you be able to promote yourself, but you must also believe in what you’re promoting: YOU!

8. Do you appreciate your business value?
When you recognize your business value, a lot of things will happen. One, you’ll emanate a confidence that will put clients and potential clients at ease. Two, you’ll be able to charge what you’re worth. And three, you’ll keep plugging away even when things get difficult.

9. Can you set clear boundaries?
With a traditional full-time job you work from 9 to 5 and then go home where you’re generally not expected to continue working. The difference with contract work is that your schedule can be more fluid, enabling you to work whatever hours you choose. This will require a bit more flexibility as you respond to client emergencies, etc. However, you will have to set some boundaries to avoid being taken advantage of. And once you set boundaries, be sure to abide by them.

10. Do you have enough knowledge and skills?
There’s no higher authority you can consult if you run into a complicated or difficult issue. As a freelance accountant you’re the higher authority. If you don’t have the knowledge or skill to run your own accounting practice, that’s your first order of business. Look for quality training programs that will help you gain the expertise you need.

Universal Accounting Center Offers Quality Training Programs

Last week when we introduced the first five questions of our self-employability quiz, we also shared our special professional package, designed to help people like you open a successful accounting practice.

The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program
Regardless of your expertise, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert accountant, the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program will teach you small business accounting, enabling you to promote your service to a large niche market. You’ll learn everything you need to know to help your clients’ businesses become more profitable. Imagine gaining the reputation as a Profit Expert, granting the Midas touch to every business with which you work. The PB Program will give you the skills to analyze a company’s finances and determine how they can best increase their revenue and become more profitable. Once the word gets out you’ll have more work than you can handle.

The Universal Practice Builder (UPB) Program
But getting the word out is sometimes problematic. While accountants may be comfortable crunching numbers, they generally are not comfortable marketing their services. Wouldn’t it be nice to learn a proven system for marketing your newfound small business accounting skills? Universal knows how to do that, and we want to teach you! For years we’ve been offering the Universal Practice Builder Workshop, designed to train you how to market your practice in order to experience significant growth and profitability. You had to attend this two-day workshop in order to glean all the amazing information offered. Now, to accommodate students and make this information more convenient we have turned this workshop into a DVD program. Imagine all that you could learn from our experience training thousands of individuals like you!

Receive a Free Gift
But wait, there’s more! We want you to take advantage of this offer so you can realize your potential. And what better way to help you accomplish that than by combining these two powerful programs with another profit-building program, QuickBooks Made Profitable, for FREE!

UAC has created this amazing program to teach you how to use QuickBooks to generate more clients. You’ll be trained in a proven system of how you can use QuickBooks to attract larger numbers of potential clients offering expert QuickBooks services. Learn how to leverage your time, meet potential clients and offer them services that will help them reduce taxes, increase profits and put money in the bank. With this added service you’ll become even more valuable to all those clients, securing their loyalty and the longevity of your business.

There is a certain amount of risk involved in starting your own business. But when you’ve proven your skills by earning a professional designation your chances for success rise significantly. Do all that you can to prepare for your success. Purchase this professional package today!

Where the “Opportunity Things” Are

Gain Control of Your Career

I was recently reading “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak to my kids for a bedtime story. I was stricken with how similar this well-known story line reflects what we all go through when pursuing our professional goals.

In the story Max is sent to his room, feeling constrained by those who are in authority over him. He imagines for himself a world where he has the control of what happens. How often have we, sitting in our little cubicles, had those same imaginings about our careers? How many of us have imagined what it would be like to gain the control necessary to steer our careers in the direction of success and happiness? How many of us have imagined that happy, yet seemingly unattainable position of empowerment, where we are in charge of our professional futures?

Most of us can imagine being able to dictate what we do, how we do it and for how much we will do it for. We imagine a place of business where we are not only invaluable to the company we work with, but an indispensable part of that company’s success. Or perhaps we imagine working for ourselves, determining our own schedules as we grow an accounting practice that we manage.

Unlike Max who, after creating his ideal world, went back to the reality of his own room, will we settle for this dissatisfying stage of our careers? Or will turn our dreams into reality?

The corporate world can really be a jungle, and for those in our field we need to be gaining the right tools that will help us clear a path to the places we would like to be in five, ten, or fifteen years from now. Where are your “Opportunity Things”? What tools can you use to take advantage of that next promotion, pay increase or business opportunity?

Universal Accounting Has the Answers

The Professional Bookkeeping (PB) Program is designed specifically for those in your situation, those who need the experience and training necessary to move forward in their chosen career paths. The PB coursework will supply you with the materials, training, and support that will enable you to become a certified Professional Bookkeeper. The PB Certification will get you the experience and knowledge that has been used by more than 30,000 others, just like you, to make their professional dreams a reality. This comprehensive program can be completed in as little as 60 hours, allowing you to learn at your own speed while acquiring the tools necessary to catapult you to the professional future you’ve been imagining.

Building your own accounting practice will require exceptional marketing skills. And when you couple the PB Program with the Universal Practice Builder (UPB) Program you practically have a ready-made business at your finger-tips. The UPB Program will train you in more than 12 proven marketing strategies, teach you how to get 15 to 25 qualified leads per month, help you create a customized marketing plan, and enable you to earn $30,000 more in annualized billings in just 12 months.

Isn’t it time to make a move on your career? What’s holding you back from turning your dreams into reality? What is separating you from those who have gotten where you want to be? Stop allowing others tell you how much you can make, what responsibilities you are qualified for and how far up the corporate ladder you can go. With Universal’s training and practical, hands-on experience, the steering wheel is in your hands, and you can decide where to take your career. Enroll now!

You finally scored that interview and are ready to dazzle and amaze the interviewer. How do you prepare? One way is to formulate answers to the most common interview questions. There are quite a few out there, but here are 10 of the most popular ones:

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
While this is the interviewer’s attempt to put you at ease at the start of an interview, it is not an open invitation to blather on and on about your childhood or to recap your resume. This is, however, your chance to highlight your experience, expertise, and skills, and how they relate to the position for which you are interviewing.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
Be honest. Whether you quit, were laid off, or fired, you need to be honest and upfront about it. But be brief and as positive as possible. Complaining about your previous experience will not leave a good impression. Conclude by saying that you are looking forward to new and rewarding work experiences.

3. Why do you want this position?
This is your chance to align your career objectives with this position. It is important that you display passion and excitement for the job and what you bring to it. And when discussing your qualifications, ensure that they align with the job description provided.

4. Why do you want to work here?
This question may seem similar to the one above, but there’s a fundamental difference. The previous question was asking about the position. This question is asking about the employer for which you might be working. The interviewer is interested in learning what you know about the organization and whether or not you value what it has to offer you. Be sure you’ve done your homework. What do you find appealing about this particular employer? If you can’t answer that question now, you should be prepared to do so before the interview.

5. Why should I hire you?
Some people feel uncomfortable selling themselves in an interview, but this is exactly what you need to do. And this particular question is begging for you to tell the interviewer how you can benefit their organization. What strengths do you have and how will they work to strengthen the company? As always, be sure that your points align with the job description.

6. What’s your greatest weakness?
The last thing you want to do is share your greatest weakness and leave it at that. Or worse, tell the interviewer that you are unaware of any personal weaknesses (This is a definite red flag: everyone has weaknesses, and if you claim to be unaware of them, you’re either lying or delusional and arrogant). This is your chance to demonstrate how you have acknowledged a weakness and worked to overcome it. For example, if you’re too detail-oriented, explain how you have worked to step back and see the big picture. Or, if you procrastinate, explain what you have done in order to motivate yourself to slowly work towards completing projects on time and on budget.

7. What are your salary expectations?
This is another question that requires a little research. Considering your experience and expertise, what is a realistic salary range? Search on the Internet to find out. And do a little research on the company as well. Is it reasonable to expect them to pay top dollar? Or should you expect a more modest salary range from this employer? But before you answer this question in your interview, ask if the interviewer can provide a salary range with which to base your response. If not, answer the question based on your research.

8. What do you like in a boss or supervisor?
This isn’t a trick question. The interviewer wants to know whether or not you are a good match for the individual supervising this position. I remember being shocked at an applicant’s response that he liked being micromanaged. And because I was not the type of supervisor who could micromanage my employees, and because he would not have felt comfortable working independently, it was exactly the answer I was looking for. So be honest (and positive) as you describe your ideal working arrangement.

9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Regardless of your desire to be independently wealthy and touring Europe in 5 years, you should answer this question in regards to your career goals. The person asking this question is interested in knowing whether you have any goals and how ambitious you are regarding them.

10. Do you have any questions for me?
The answer to this question should always be “yes.” It shows that you have been attentive throughout the interview (unless, of course you ask a question that has been answered through the course of the interview) and know enough about the company to compose thoughtful questions. It also gives you the chance to illustrate your interest in the job; if nothing else, ask about the next step in the selection process. Will they be conducting second interviews? If not, when could you anticipate finding out whether or not they will be hiring you.

Note: If salary has not already been discussed, this is not the time to ask how much they pay; at this stage, when you focus on compensation it looks as if that’s your primary concern.

While job interviews can be stressful, you can prepare for the most common questions. Going in with positive, thoughtful, and genuine responses will give this potential employer a good impression of you and your abilities.