Here is a brief run down of what you can do in three  common situations.:

1. Strange or off-topic questions
Some recruiters enjoy asking people off-topic questions so they can get to see the personality of the interviewee better. How will you cope in unfamiliar territory? How will you really cope under pressure?

It is not a reason to dismiss the question though – or to answer it with less seriousness and effort as the job-related questions. Do your best to answer all questions, including off-topic interview questions.

2. Dealing with an uncomfortable silence
Ask for a minute to compose your answer, and do some fast brainstorming. If you feel that the silence is becoming uncomfortable, you can ask to come back to the question at the end of the interview. As long as you do go back to it, this is an acceptable solution. Silence is acceptable during an interview when you are trying to think of an answer, so don’t feel obligated to fill the silence, concentrate on the answer instead, and you’ll end the silence sooner.

3. What to do when you don’t understand the question
If you don’t understand the question, it’s ok to ask for some clarification, as long as you do this in a professional and respetful manner. Sometimes, asking for an example of what they mean can give you an idea of what to say – guessing is too risky at an interview.

A busy mother might find that she does not have the time or the energy to put into the business while looking after a young family. She might also find that there are not enough free hours in the day to give the family the attention they deserve, and sufficient time to run the business effectively.

Another difficulty that young people often face is finding the money to start up a business in the first place.

Things to consider

A young mother who is thinking about starting her own business has a number of things to consider. Firstly, how much time will she be able to dedicate to the business? Being a mum and running a home takes up many hours of the day, and there must be enough time to run a business to make it work without neglecting the home life.

Secondly, who will look after the children while the mother is working? Mums who run a small business from home may be able to do the majority of the work when the children are in bed, or at school, but if they will need to get out and about to make the business work they will need to ensure that someone is available to look after the children during this time.

Thirdly, does she have the motivation to balance the work and her home life effectively? The business could work if there is enough time to invest in the business, while also allocating sufficient time to the family so that they do not feel neglected.

How to run a business and still look after your family

There are a number of things that mums can do to help them juggle their own working time and their family time. Making a plan of the week with time slots that are allocated to different activities, such as time with the children, taking the children to school, and working on the business, could help them to manage their time efficiently and to ensure that nothing is forgotten.

Mums who need help with childcare might find that coming to an agreement with other mums, in which they take it in turns to have each other’s children for short periods, is a good way to manage time better. Another hint is never to forget to ask for help – family and friends are usually willing to lend a hand where needed. Working mums may find that using an Umbrella Company to take care of much of the administrative work and to organise their financial record keeping, tax and invoices, frees up more time to spend with their children.

Anything is possible

Despite the hurdles, it is perfectly possible to start up and run a successful business while also being a busy mum. At times it may feel like everything is too much, however the rewards of a successful business are great, and could help improve the quality of life of the whole family.

In our enlightened times husbands are expected to help in the home with an equal sharing of household chores. This can also help a young mother to make a success of a business career by freeing her up some time.

Interviews are your opportunities to shine and show what you can do and that you are the right person for the job!

So, you’ve submitted a killer CV and and covering letter…then you get a call for an interview. What do you do next?

The interview is the most stressful and important part of job hunting. Your CV says on paper that you may be right for the job, but the job interview confirms that, and more. The job interview is where employers make a decision about whether to recruit you – based on his or her impression of whether to employ you for their job.

Put your best foot forward at interviews

You will want to do your best at job interviews because if you don’t all your efforts from filling out the application, or writing your covering letter and CV will go down the drain.

Here are some tips to make sure you get it right and win jobs at interviews:

1. Make a great impression at interviews

Always dress in your best for an interview. Your attire should be appropriate – dressing your best doesn’t mean looking like you’re going to a concert or a wedding! No matter what the company may require for their employees, the first impression for applicants should be conservative business attire.

2. Do your research

One of the best ways to make a good impression on your interviewer is to do a little research on the company you are applying for. This will equip you with material to answer many of the questions the interviewer will ask. One of the main points of the questions you will be asked is how your skills can benefit the company.

If you know a thing or two about the company, you will find it a lot easier to answer this question appropriately – and your interviewer will know from what you say that you have taken the time out to do this research. And don’t just stop there – do some research on the company’s competitors, and find a way to weave it n to your responses, or your own questions to the interviewer.

3. Watch your body language

Many of the interviewers are well versed in body language, and you will find that, throughout the interview, they will be looking for hints about your personality from the way you act, talk, and move.

But don’t try to change your body language at the interview just for the sake of trying to act like someone else. What you should do is to take note of your body language so that at least it communicates openness and honesty, and tweak bad habits – like biting fingernails, fidgeting etc.

Don’t tell lies or bend the truth. Experienced interviewers will notice this in an instant – and they will try to catch you out, which could be very embarrassing (if not professional suicide) at an interview.

Try to keep your palms open and avoid crossing your legs or your arms together. Don’t be afraid to make eye contact while speaking; just make sure that you do not come across as intimidating.

4. Confidence is key at job interviews

Walk in with a purpose, like you are supposed to be there. Don’t act like you are shy or afraid to be there.

Answer interview questions with a purpose. Try not to be too self-conscious. Make sure you are confident in what you say. If you hit a snag and find yourself in a tight spot with a difficult question, for example, make sure you handle the situation confidently – even when saying that you do not know an answer to a question.

Remember, confidence reflects competence and employers always look for competent people to fill their vacancies during job interviews.

Recruitment can be very flexible these days, and you can run your own agency from home

A career in recruitment may be just the thing – these days, there are recruitment consultantjobs that can be done from home, so you can have the flexibility your family needs.

What does a recruitment consultant do?

As a recruitment consultant, you would help employers to find suitable staff, and help people to find suitable jobs.

Your work may involve:

• taking vacancy details from employers
• ‘cold calling’ companies to generate new business
• interviewing and testing job seekers, to build a pool of people ready to fill vacancies
• matching candidates to suitable jobs
• screening and shortlisting candidates before employers interview them
• building good relationships with employers so that they keep using your agency
• keeping in touch with job seekers on your agency’s books
• meeting targets for the number of vacancies taken or the number of people placed into jobs
• keeping records of clients, employers and vacancies
• negotiating your agency’s fees
• ‘headhunting’ – finding and approaching candidates for executive or specialist jobs.

You could work for various kinds of employment agency, dealing with permanent or temporary work at all levels for many industry sectors.

What qualifications and experience will employers look for?

Employers will ask for a good standard of education, but your skills and attitude are often more important than your academic qualifications.

Good sales skills and an excellent telephone manner are important, so you will find it useful to have experience in customer service, sales or marketing.

You may need relevant experience and qualifications to work in an agency that specialises in a particular industry such as IT, engineering or nursing. Agencies that deal with high-level executive jobs may prefer you to be a graduate, although this is not always essential.

What further training and development can I do?

Once you are working for an agency, you will develop your skills mainly on the job. Some large agencies run their own structured in-house training programmes for new entrants.

Your training may include working towards the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Certificate in Recruitment and Selection (available until December 2010), or the following qualifications from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC):

• Certificate in Recruitment Practice – aimed at people new to the recruitment industry
• Diploma in Recruitment Practice – usually for recruitment consultants with at least a year’s experience
• BA (Hons) degree in Recruitment Practice
• Masters degree in Recruitment Practice.

You can study for all of these qualifications by distance learning. The REC Certificate in Recruitment Practice is also available by short fast-track courses at study centres around the UK.

The Recruitment and Employment Federation and CIPD both offer various short courses to help your professional development throughout your career. See websites for more details about each organisation’s qualifications and training.

Interviews are your opportunities to shine and show what you can do and that you are the right person for the job!

Improve your chances of getting that job but making a great impression at your interview.

Here are eight tips to make sure you leave your competition behind:

1. Do your research
There really is no escaping this – even though it can be a little boring and tiresome finding out about the company you are hoping to work for, if you aren’t ready to put in this initial work you may want to ask yourself if you really want to work for that company.

Before an interview, you must know certain things about the company you are applying a job for. Researching about the company can also help you answer questions, like”Why do you want to work for our company”, as it would help you learn more about the nature of their business, but the added benefit is that it will help add some flesh to the responses you give in general. Aside from that, if the interviewer asks you questions regarding their company and you are able to answer them properly, then it shows them that you are indeed interested in working for them – and that you are organised enough to come prepared to the interview…another plus!

2. Review your performance at previous interviews
Every interview should tell you something about yourself – be it questions you were unable to answer that you need to practise, or points on your CV that you need to rephrase, remove or highlight. If you committed certain mistakes in your past interviews, then you can make sure you don’t make those mistakes again.

3. Review the qualifications
Every job you apply for will detail the qualifications that is required or desired for the job. The fact that you have been invited to the interview means that the recruiter is either happy with your qualifications, or is happy to consider your overall experience or skills even if you don’t quite have all the required qualifications.

What you must do is review the qualifications detailed in the job advert or the job specification and prepare to discuss your qualifications at the interview. If you are changing careers, or are trying for a more senior role, you need to be prepared to discuss what you have and be able to compare it with your present experiences and your skills. On top of that, it would also help you focus more on your particular skills that would help you qualify more for the job you want.

4. Get a haircut
If you want to be taken seriously at an interview, you need to present yourself neatly. Getting a haircut would make anyone look smart, fresh, and presentable. It doesn’t mean that you have to cut all the tresses that you’ve spent the past year or so trying to go – just a trim to freshen your hair up will do the trick.

Do it about two or three days in advance so that your hair can settle – even if you do look more presentable with it, you may need a couple of days to get adjusted to it, which is very important when it comes to being confident during the interview.

5. Arrive early
It is always better to arrive early for an interview – and moreseo when you’re a mother. This is to show your prospective employers that you are really interested with the job and it also shows the recruiter that you have good time management skills. If you can’t make it to the interview on time, it may leave the question of what your time management will be like if you get the job – will you constantly be late for work, arriving frazzled and dihevelled with every excuse under the sun every day?

6. Do your usual morning routine early
Going for interviews can be daunting enough without having the pressure of getting the children ready for school or childcare. By taking your breakfast early or doing your usual routine earlier than usual, you’ll givbe yourself extra time to prepare for the interview. You will therefore arrive feeling (or at least looking!) calm and collected when you get to the venue.

7. Eat well but don’t overdo it
It is best that you eat well the day before your big job interview. This is to ensure that you will be supplying your body with the nutrients it needs, preventing any kind of stress. Make sure you take breakfast in the morning – a grumbling tummy is more than embarrassing at interviews, and hunger can be distracting, too.

8. Go to bed as early as possible
Sleep as early as possible so have enough energy for the next day – don’t leave the interview preparation to the last minute so that you are staying up till all hours; it will be a lot harder to remember the crucial detals you need to impress the recruiter with. Plus, you don’t want to be yawning throughout your interview…it won’t look professional.

It's never too late, or impossible to change careers

Yes – it is true that there is now a lot of competition to get a job, but it is not impossible. What you need to do is make sure that your application stands out from the crowd.

Here are a few tips to help you get the edge in searching for a job and landing the job of your dreams.

The all-important CV

The CV is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. If you have ever recruited for staff before, you’ll know that this can be a laborious thing to do, so you don’t wantr to give your potential employer any reason to put your CV in the bin pile.

Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these CVs and applications.

1. Make Your CV Stand Out

When preparing your CV, make sure it will stand from the rest. That doesn’t mean printed on bright red paper – although saying that, it might work in some industries, but will not be appropriate for others! Step two is for you to make sure your CV lists the related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for.

1. Make Your CV Concise and Relevant

Avoid making your CV too long – you need to get the point across in a concise manner without leaving out important skills and experience. So, if you’ve been working in your industry for 10 years, you ca safely leave out the waitressing jobs you had while studying at universiy, for example.

2. Always tailor your CV to the Job.

You may have had previous experience that may not be related to the job you are applying for. Some people keep many different versions of their CV for different jobs – this is a good thing, and you can tailor it to each job you apply for. So, instead of applying for hundreds of jobs without looking carefully at the job specification, you would apply for say 20 jobs, and with each application you make, you will look through your CV to make sure your skills, qualifications and experience highlight what the employer is looking for.

Obviously, you won’t lie if there is anything missing – you could instead highlight what you can do to meet those gaps, or what skills and experience you have that are transferrable to the new job in your covering letter.

3. Write About Your Achievements

When you talk about your professional achievements, make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air.

4. Polish Your CV and Do a Spell Check

Your employer will know if you have put enough time into producing your CV. If he/she sees that you have made an effort, they will think that you are serious about the job you are applying for, and that your work is likely to be of a good standard.

Please check the spelling and grammar on your CV. Do not rely on the spell check in Microsoft Word. It can pick out some of the basics, but you can’t beat having another person read through your CV, too.

Owning a franchise can be a great way to work for yourself

A franchise is an arrangement between an established company (the franchiser) and a local operator (the franchise owner, often known as a ‘franchisee’).

As a franchisee, you would be self-employed and own the business, but you would benefit from your products or services already being familiar to the public.

Many types of business are run as franchises, in particular:

• convenience stores
• food take-aways
• printing
• professional cleaning services
• hairdressers
• parcel delivery
• estate agents
• recruitment consultancies.

You would pay an initial fee to use the franchise brand and products, and then pay the franchiser a regular management service fee based on a percentage of your turnover. In return, the franchising company would provide you with training, guidelines for running and advertising the business, and any stock, equipment and shop fittings that you might need.

What qualifications and experience will employers look for?

You don’t need formal qualifications to run most franchises, but you would be at an advantage with some business skills in areas like people management and basic accounting.

You often do not need any direct experience of the business that you are running (as training is provided), but previous work experience in sales, management and customer service would be useful.

You will need enough money to buy the franchise and pay the franchiser’s fees. Few franchises are available for less than £5,000, and the average start-up cost is between £20,000 and £50,000.

If you are thinking of running a franchise and would like some advice, you could contact the British Franchise Association, which runs seminars, provides information and approves franchising companies.

Before you buy a franchise, you may find it useful to take a short business start-up course run by a local college, adult education centre or enterprise organisation. You can also get business start-up advice and training from the Business Link network (in England), Invest Northern Ireland, Business Support Wales or Scottish Enterprise.

What further training and development can I do?

All franchising companies will offer you some initial training. Some franchisers will also train your employees and provide ongoing training as part of the franchise agreement.

Training is likely to include:

• operating the business to the required standard
• sales skills
• product knowledge, pricing and marketing
• finance, administration and customer relations.

You could choose to work towards qualifications aimed at people running their own business, such as:

• NVQ Level 3 in Starting a New Business Enterprise
• NVQ Level 4 in Developing an Established Business Enterprise.

You can also get ongoing business development support and advice from organisations like the Business Link network.

Make a change today and start making money

Yes – it’s true that changing careers can be costly – not just the course fees, but taking time out of work to do it, and even the cost of childcare so you can do your training. That’s why it’s so important to have more than one income stream.

This doesn’t mean you should go out and look for extra work that you physically have to go to – unless you want to, of course! But there are many ways you can earn a passive income without you having to physically be there. You could be earning money while you are studying, asleep, commuting, etc.

That’s why Motherswhowork.co.uk is launching the Money Making Mums Course on Monday 14th February 2011!

This course is for mums who are serious about making money – from more than one source so that they always have an income stream no matter what.

If the recession and its resulting redundancies and the higher cost of living should have taught you anything, it’s that you can’t depend on just one income stream – i.e. you can’t afford to depend on just your salary.

What would you do if you were made redundant tomorrow? What would you do if your business doesn’t take off the way your business plan projects it will? And how are you going to afford the petrol or the increasing price of food if you are still on the same salary and money is tight anyway?

Having more than one source of income is vital – it’s a necessity, and that is exactly what the Money Making Mums Course will teach you.

In just six weeks, you will learn how to make money in several different ways – check the Money Making Mums mind map below to get a feel.

The course goes live on Monday 14th February, but you can sign up for it NOW and start reading the free bonus guides that are worth almost £50 – just follow this link: http://www.motherswhowork.co.uk/join-mothers-work-club/mmc/

So, this Valentine’s Day, don’t settle for the usual flowers which will wilt in a few days, or the perfume that you can buy yourself anytime (over and over again once you complete the Money Making Mums Course!), or the box of chocolates that you’ll feel guilty for scoffing – ask your loved ones to invest in you instead!

If you don’t have a partner, that does not give you an excuse not to love yourself this Valentine’s Day! You deserve to invest in yourself for once – and without the guilt, because this is money well spent!

Register now or find out more about the Money Making Mums Course.

If you have a track record in sales or retail, you can still climb the career ladder when you have a family

For a lot of mothers, working hours can be a problem. Flexible working hours present an opportunity to combine your working life with your family life, ensuring that one is not compromised due to the demands of the other.

However, many people are unsure of their rights when it comes to working hours; a lot of women returning to work after maternity leave may not consider, or ask their employers for, a way to alter their 9 to 5. The opportunity to work flexibly will vary according to the sector and job type, for example those in field sales jobs or sales director jobs will have different elements of their roles which may determine whether they can feasibly work flexible hours or not.

But there is room for manoeuvre, and how you structure your working hours may depend on how you present your case to your employers and how well you know your rights as an employee.

If you are an employee rather than an agency worker, have worked for your employer for 26 weeks, and haven’t made a previous request in the last 12 months for flexitime; then you are within your rights to request it. The amount of employees who would not even consider proposing a change to their working hours is significant, but the eligibility afforded by UK employment law makes it a reasonable and viable option.

Another thing to consider is the sector you work in, as sales jobs in the UK vary from sector to sector, and within these there are varied working patterns which may benefit from a different approach.

Many companies will have a culture that is resistant to change, and your employer can still reject your request for flexible hours if it makes good business sense. You need to make sure you make a good case for changing your working hours, and a reason for the company to change their policy or corporate culture.

Show analytically that your sales figures will benefit from time spent on your intended markets outside of the 9 to 5, and that a change in structure may rejuvenate sales and the productivity of your colleagues. For example many telesales jobs benefit from non-working hours, and a lot of online activity can be performed from home and easily monitored by your superiors; so flexible options are available if you can demonstrate that they are appropriate for your sector.

Flexible working hours take many forms, and for working mothers or mothers who wish to return to work there are numerous options to consider. Term-time hours make time available in the holidays, but can be demanding.

So annualised hours where your hours are calculated over the year is a good option if you want to have freer school holidays but not necessarily a strict term based routine. Job sharing is a good way to sell to your employer the idea that a reduction in your working hours won’t affect the productivity of your position, whilst staggered hours can make working every day fit around your responsibilities as a parent.

Whilst you may not make an immediate difference within the company you work for, you can start the ball rolling and make working in sales a more feasible possibility for yourself and other mums. Talk to your employer; show them the potential benefits of flexible hours, and you will strike a good balance between your career in sales and your life as a mum.

It's never too late, or impossible to change careers

Finding the right career path can be the first step to job satisfaction and a more balanced lifestyle. With help from Monster.co.uk, the leading online careers advice service and online recruitment resource, you can start to find your balance straight away.

Sometimes you may feel like you are stalling in your job and need a break, but a change can be as good as a break and the prospect of choosing a new path needn’t be too daunting. The average person will work 40 hours a week for the better part of 40 years. That’s nearly 80,000 hours of your life, so it makes sense to find the right direction.

Do your research

If you are considering changing career you’ll need to do your research. Reading the newspapers daily and identifying industries where there is movement and development can be a good way to gauge what is out there. Looking on Monster’s job search for the latest jobs can also give you a good snapshot of which industries are hiring.

In fact, figures from our monthly analysis of job opportunities, the Monster Employment Index (MEI) offer reassurance in a difficult economic climate. Sectors such as education and training showed 18 per cent growth between September and October 2010. The arts, entertainment, sports and leisure, and IT industries are also leading the way, in terms of a more long term trend. So, looking at these areas might be a good place to start.

Use your transferable skills

Don’t forget there will be a number of transferable skills which can be used in a new career. Think about your areas of expertise and take a look at which industries could match those skills – you will be surprised how many skills can be used in a wide range of jobs. Employers are looking for candidates with good communication skills, teamwork, initiative, problem solving, flexibility, computer skills and technical skills.

Let your CV speak for you

Once you’re ready to make the leap, you’ll need to consider tailoring your CV to fit with your new career. Use your creativity to create a CV which will highlight your key skills and make you really stand out to an employer. If your previous job doesn’t have any relevance to your new career, switching the format of your CV so that you begin with a skills section is a good way to land that new position.

Here are some top tips on changing career direction from Monster.co.uk:

• If you are made redundant or taking a break, take the opportunity to reassess your work-life balance and look for jobs that fit with your ideal situation
• Take a fresh look at your career options and find out what’s on offer
• Research the latest developments in industries of interest to you to help you gain direction
• Tailor your CV so that it is relevant to the industry you are applying for
• Register with as many job websites and recruitment agencies as possible
• Attend networking events and conferences to build up contacts
• Think about what transferable skills you have gained which you can use in your new career – IT literacy, numeracy, problem solving, organisational skills, foreign languages and presentation skills are always desirable
• Assess what you enjoy most about your job and look for opportunities to use your expertise
• Remember, it’s never too late to change direction

Isabelle Ratinaud, Marketing Director, Monster.co.uk