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Preparing Questions to Ask in your Upcoming Job Interview When you get ready for a job interview, chances are you have spent a lot of time trying to guess the questions you will be asked and prepare your answers to them. How will you explain that gap in your work history? What will you say when they ask you why you left your last job? In the rush to make sure that you have all of your answers perfectly prepared and ready, don’t forget to prepare a few questions of your own to ask the person who is interviewing you. Asking questions is an important part of your interview. When you get asked the old “do you have any questions for us” one, it pays to actually be able to come back with a few questions instead of a, “no, I don’t think so.” Asking questions will show that you are engaged in the interview and have done some thinking about the position, plus, the questions you ask will help you elicit valuable information you need when you have to decide whether or not to actually take the job, should it be offered to you. The first thing you should want to find out is why the job is open in the first place. Is the job you are applying for a new position? That means you can expect to have a lot of transitional bumps along the way as you are integrated into the company. If the job is not new, and the person before you was fired, then you can expect things to be in a state of disarray when you take over and that you will have to spend a lot of time up front cleaning up spilled milk. If the job is open because the person who had it before you moved up in the company, then you will know that this is a job with a lot of future potential. Next, find out a little bit about the person who will actually be your boss if you get the job. Sometimes, this person will be involved in the interview, but often they will not. Finding out how high up in the company chain you will be reporting will help you gauge how important the position for which you are applying is to the company. Also, it helps to know a little bit about the personality type of the boss to be. If you like to keep your head down and do your work, and your potential new boss is one of those “wacky” types, then you may want to look elsewhere. From there, ask about the kinds of responsibilities you will need to take on board right out of the gate. When companies are hiring for a new position, they usually have a few ideas about what that person will need to start working on right away. Getting a clue about your first project will help you decide if this job is right for you. This is also a good time to ask the interviewer about their job and why they like working the company. You may find out that this really could be your dream job, or you may end up sensing from your interviewer that you should run away, fast. Last but not least, ask your interview when you should follow-up on your interview. Don’t open the door for a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” kind of interview closing. Let the interviewer know to their face that will be making the effort to contact them again. You may get the vibe from your interviewer that the job probably will be going to someone else, so you can move on quickly, or you may end up being offered the job on the spot. Either way, you will have opened the lines of communication to take the next step.

Software copyright Software Copyright Difficult to Enforce For those of you who love computer games, you probably know more about software copyright than you ever thought you'd want to know-especially if you have or have ever owned multiple computers. Most new games not only come with special copyrights but also built in security features that are designed to enforce those copyrights. Some have even gone so far as selling you the right to 'use' the material you are purchasing rather than providing you with actual ownership of the software to which they own the software copyright. That bothered me a bit at first, but I've come to understand it's another way of protecting them and their rights as well as controlling or limiting how you use the software they provide. Software copyright is actually quite confusing and hotly debated. Many stores will not accept opened software as returns because the software companies won't reimburse them for the product and they are left holding the bag. It doesn't sound like much but when you think of literally thousands of consumers attempting to return opened software because they didn't like or worse, they only needed to download and install it for it to actually run. Companies that produce computer software have become savvy to the ways of the modern consumer. Those companies that produce computer games especially require that the disk actually be in your player in order for the game to operate properly. This enforced the software copyright to the extent that two people can't reasonably share ownership of the same game, as they both need an actual disk in order to operate the games. But for every solution there is a hacker or budding programmer that creates a new problem for software makers and holders of software copyright to face. One of the latest problems is the virtual CD. The long and short of this is that the computer is tricked into 'seeing' the CD where it should be and carries out the game as though it were. Another important thing to note about software copyright is that there are many programs available that mimic some of the more notable applications for no fee. These are often referred to as open source software and often have excellent if not superior quality to similar programs that are available for fees. One thing I've noticed is that I will often find free open source software, download it, love it and a few months later I will find a more polished version of the same software, by the same company available with a few more bells and whistles for a fee. The new improved software has a software copyright and is not free to consumers but it is also a much better version than what I currently have. It's a great way for new software developers to make names for themselves and get volunteers for the testing process of their development phase. A software copyright offers protection and recognition to the owner of the software. The problem with protecting software is that it is impossible to police properly. That would require walking into every home on the planet and checking each computer to make sure there are no duplicate copies extra copies, illegal copies, etc. Plus, who keeps the actual boxes from all their software? I certainly do not. I could never prove that I was honoring the software copyright if the packaging or receipts were the only way I have of doing so. Most people in the world today honestly want to do the right thing. Software is one of the most expensive purchases people will often make for their home computers, it only makes sense to buy actual copies that have an actual software copyright in order to protect your investment not only in your software but also in your computer.

Three Important Tips to Land Better Job Prospects If you are not satisfied with your current job or the job prospects that you are running across, it is time to revise your search. Use these three tips to help find the type of job prospects you are looking for. First of all, before you start your job search, figure out exactly what it is that you are looking for. Going out into the world and searching for any type of job is the perfect way to end up with an array of job prospects you are unsatisfied with. Think about the reasons why you are ready to leave your current job. Consider what things you are looking for in a career that your current job is not giving you. Are you looking for make more money? If so, only apply for jobs that will increase your income. Are you tired of working long hours and weekends? Then do not apply for jobs that will keep you at the office after hours and during family time on the weekends. By defining what exactly it is that you want in a job, you will be able to weed out the jobs you do not want. Once you are able to concentrate on the select few that have the qualities you are looking for, you will be able to put froth the effort necessary to get those jobs. Another thing that many people do when they are looking for a job is underestimating their own skills. You do not want to apply for jobs that you have absolutely no skills or training for unless they offer training, of course, but you can apply for jobs that you have some of the skills to do. For instance, if you are apply for an office job where that you need to be able to maintain the company website and you are familiar with the components of designing and maintaining a website, but have not done it on a regular basis, apply. On your resume explain that you have a working knowledge of html and other website tools. That way the employer will understand that you are not an expert at the task but you are capable of beginning, and with some help, finishing the task. Never misrepresent your skills on a resume. Instead, be honest and place emphasis on the skills that you do have. Apply for jobs that you have some of the skills for only. If you get an interview, be ready to impress the interviewer by being totally prepared. Speak confidently and make eye contact. Confidence can take you a long way when it comes to the job hunt. Shoot for the stars! If you want better job prospects you will need to believe that you deserve a better job. That means you will need to have some faith in yourself and be willing to apply for higher-level jobs. The only way you are going to get better job prospects is if you apply for the better jobs. Do not be intimidated by job descriptions. If you read a list of responsibilities and you cannot perform all of them yet, apply for the job. There is a good chance that you will be asked if you can perform the specific tasks of the job when you get an interview. This is the time to explain what tasks you are capable of performing. Better job prospects are highly attainable. You just have to clearly define what it is you want from a job and believe that you deserve and will get that type of job. Believe in yourself and you are halfway there.