American Business Culture

The American business culture is different than almost any other industrialized country. Americans are known to be hard working people, always on the go, working long hours and rushing from one activity to another. While a good work ethic is an admirable characteristic, the down side of our type A personalities is that we end up so stressed out, we end each day in an exhausted state, not knowing if we’re coming or going. Some of us have forgotten how to relax! BTW, plopping on the couch in front of the tube doesn’t count as relaxation. Our doctors warn us of the health problems that may ensue unless we stop driving ourselves so hard. Not many heed this advice and actually take steps to slow down. The principles of American business culture are far too well ingrained. Even our kids pick up on how busy one’s schedule should be.

One element of American business culture may be observed at your very first job interview. Business people don’t like to waste time and they don’t have time to waste anyway. You may wait a few minutes before being called by the interviewer (busily completing the task prior to your interview). Once you shake hands, you sit down and get right down to business. Should your prospective boss be the incorrigible type A personality and you’re not, you might feel downright uncomfortable. You might not even get the job if the interviewer sees you as too laid back!

Now let’s compare American business culture with European business culture. An American looking for a job in Europe absolutely must get up to speed on European business protocol in order to avoid an embarrassing situation which could prove to be irrecoverable. Don’t expect your first meeting with a prospective employer to be an interview, in the sense of a typical American interview. The French, in particular, are sticklers on this point. Your first meeting is full of polite conversation and should be conducted in French, if possible. This shows that you are interested enough in their culture to have a basic, if imperfect grasp of the language. You can bet the interviewer speaks English as well as you do, but this is not American business culture turf.

The purpose of this first meeting is to assess your personality and style. There may not be a single word exchanged about the position. Should you ask or remark on something that relates to the job or work, it is considered pushy and rude! A French businessman feels it’s essential that you be a likable person, one who will fit in to the organization like a family member. You may be invited to lunch, which is simply more of the same. No discussion of business takes place. Once you’ve been accepted, on a personal level, then you may be invited to dinner. That’s when business is discussed. That’s when you may receive an offer.

If you’re going to Japan on business, be prepared for culture shock. Japanese business culture is so very different from American business culture, you’ll need to thoroughly educate yourself on the expected protocol of the business meeting. For example, there a number of rituals which must be performed before you ever sit down. There is the business card presentation ritual. You’ll be embarrassed and lose points and favors if you don’t know what’s happening and what your role in the ritual is. You may be offered foods that you cannot identify, but must eat. If you refuse, no matter how graciously, you’ve delivered a terrible insult, disgraced yourself and probably won’t get the job!

We Americans are so into our American business culture, we just hate to waste time. It’s just the way we are. However, the French get 5 weeks paid vacation each year. Hmm. That’s something to think about.

About The Job Background Check

Finding work is something that everyone has to do. You can’t pay your bills or enjoy your life if you do not have money. Everyone is different, and we all have a different story to tell. When you are applying for a job, you are going to have to go through the job background check in most cases, though some do not bother. It depends on the job in question. We all make mistakes, but some of them can cost us jobs if we are not careful. If you know what you are going to have to talk about, you are going to be more likely to be honest.

When it comes to the job background check you are going to have to go through, you should know that honesty is the very best policy. That holds true throughout life, but you should always divulge everything that someone asks when you are being interviewed and/or when you are filling out your application. If you do not mention something that was asked, and then it comes up in your job background check, you are going to be instantly disqualified in many cases.

There are a variety of things that can be included when you go through a job background check. One of the first things that someone may check is that your information listed about education and job positions are correct. Some like to inflate their resume in these matters, but you should  know that this is never a good idea. If you are caught telling half truths or lying out right, they are not going to feel that they can trust you on the job. This type of job background check is one that you can count on happening each time.

There are laws that prevent some of the other types of job background check, but that varies from state to state in many cases. There are some that are going to ask to see your credit report. You may not understand why that is important, but some want to see how responsible you are – or if you are working around money they want to know if you have a lot of debt. You have to sign something to allow someone to do this job background check, so it won’t come as a surprise.

Other types of job background checks include your criminal history. If you have a conviction, you should always be honest about it, as it is going to come up. You should also have to sign something to allow them to do this check. All companies are exempt from doing a job background check in a way that would indicate discrimination. That would include your ethnicity and age, among other things. Be sure to ask about these if you are not sure, and know what is going to come up about your background so you know you are being totally honest.

Answer Job Interview Questions

Preparing for job interview questions can be one of the most difficult and nerve-racking experiences. On the one hand, you know that you have to hit an interview perfectly. You want this job, and you can feel in your bones that you are the right candidate for it. It all comes down to this one interview, so you have to give it everything you’ve got. On the other hand, you have no idea what to look at. How do you study for an interview? How do you know if you answer job interview questions well or not?

In reality, just practicing can help you. Answering job interview questions is as much a matter of feeling comfortable on your feet as of having the correct answer. Although a lot of job interview questions books will give you different specific tips on what types of answers an employer is looking for, they will all tell you this: you have a better chance of getting the job If you appear confident.

This is why you should answer job interview questions with a friend before the actual interview. Practicing questions and answers alone can be helpful, but practicing with a partner can be even better. A partner will help you simulate actual interview conditions. He or she can tell you whether or not you seem calm, confident, and comfortable with the interview. He can give you tips on eye contact, posture, facial expressions, and any other pointers you might need.

The problem is, finding out the right answers for job interview questions is difficult. You see, every employer looks for something different. I worked as a hiring manager for many years, so I know a little bit about the subject. Basically, there are several things that I look for from someone who I am interviewing. Of course, he or she has to answer job interview questions in an honest, straightforward manner and with confidence, but it goes beyond that. I want someone who is honest. There are usually pat, safe ways to answer job interview questions, but sometimes you can get better results by straying a little bit from the standard responses. If you can illustrate your points with a really interesting story from your own experience, it will make an even better impression. Basically, the most important thing is to engage your interviewer. If you can make him or her like you, you have the job!

If you would like my more information on how to answer job interview questions, you can check out my recently recorded audio guide at:

http://siliconvalleyresources.com/proresume/

I offer the audio guide as a bonus to my resume writing book. Some people have ordered the book just to get the bonus.

Some Words About Pre-Employment Background Screening

Depending on your age, you probably remember when pre employment background screening meant that someone checked to be sure that your past job listings are accurate and they may have called a few of your references. Some places would confirm your education, but not all of them were as concerned about that point. Those were the simple days and you always knew what to expect through that type of background screening. Things have changed, and the laws keep changing. These are the things business owners must keep up with today.

There are some other things that have come up as a part of pre employment background screening that you should be aware of. When anyone is hired by a school system, daycare facility, or any other place that puts someone into contact with young children, there is a search done for a past record of child abuse or sexual misconduct. Those that come up with something on their record through this type of pre employment background screening are automatically eliminated from being hired. If they refuse to give clearance for an employer to do this search, they are not going to get the job.

Depending on where you want to work, your pre employment background screening may also include a check into your criminal history. Most applications ask outright if you have been convicted of a felony. It is always important to be honest about this, as they are going to find out anyway. If you have lied, you are not going to get the job. On the other hand, depending on what you did, being honest about it may mean that you are a good candidate. When asked for this as a part of pre employment background screening, be honest and up front.

The problem with some of this is that the laws in regards to pre employment background screening and records searching are becoming murky. There are some things that are now forbidden in some places, even if the candidate gives written permission for someone to search out this type of information. If you are doing the hiring, make sure you know the laws in your sate. If you are looking for work, you should know what someone can ask you for and what they can not.

Not Quite “Free” Employment History Searches

It turns out that very few businesses make use of even a free employment history search when interviewing employees for full or part time work. In fact, most employers rely upon their own impressions in the interview process or though talking to the references that a prospective employee provides.

This is good, since there doesn’t actually seem to be any such service that’s actually free in the traditional and commonly understood sense of the word. Often, “free” employment history search sites will require you to purchase something to get your “free report delivered.” Other so-called free searches require a subscription for service that can last years.

It is useful to note that one should be very careful about putting personal information out there during the registration process with on line search sites, as it is a commodity to be traded at will unless expressly forbidden by the terms of the website.

Often, these are simple public records searches that will yield information from the IRS or state tax offices as well as census data. This is useful when trying to look up very specific data. Basic and “free” employment history searches are usually less than $50. Other, more in-depth searches use such public data in conjunction with other data that is a bit more difficult to come by and are far more expensive – as much as several hundred dollars for some real detective work.

Usually, when a company is interested in checking out information on a job candidate’s resume or CV, they’re looking to hire some sort of executive or someone that is to have a position of some authority. As such, they’ll surely save themselves the bother of looking for a free employment history search that will accommodate their exacting requirements when it’s well worth it to the corporation to make sure they’re not setting themselves up for future scandal.

Even if it’s not free, employment history searches that deal with international verification can get surprisingly good results faster than you might think, though some countries are certainly less well covered than others. Places that have had political unrest or secretive governments – the very sort that encourage immigration of highly skilled labor – are the ones least likely to have intact and detailed records available to even the keenest researcher in the US.

So, there are no free lunches, but there are legitimate (if not quite free) employment history search services to be found online. These can quickly determine whether or not your prospective employees are telling you the whole truth. In certain positions that carry a lot of responsibility or a high profile, this is your company’s insurance policy against a very particular type of fraud.