Searching for a new job is stressful in the current tough job market. You need to be very clear about what you are looking for in your new job and how you will identify it during the job interview.

Current thinking is that the most important factor people seek is engagement with their work. What does this mean?

Engagement is the degree to which employees identify with their job, how much they feel they belong and how much they feel they are valued. This is largely determined by the relationships they have with their colleagues and managers, the support they receive within the position to perform their jobs properly, the trust level they enjoy, the compensation and rewards they receive, the growth and development opportunities and the nature of the job itself.

When considering a position focus on the following six C’s to decide if this job is going to truly engage you.

Content of the job - Ask yourself: Will the work itself be meaningful? Is there opportunity for growth and development? Will I have what is needed to properly perform in the position? How fulfilling is this type of work?

Coping resources - You need to be given sufficient resources to cope with the demands and stresses of the job. Any employee will become demotivated and eventually burn out if they have to deal with unreasonable job demands, unrealistic targets, poor managers and unsupportive colleagues. Studies show that stress costs US business in excess of $300 billion annually. Access to enough resources to cope with the work is essential. Ask yourself the following: Do I have or have access to the tools, knowledge, technology and training I need to do this job? Is the work environment supportive? Do the demands of the job match my own work-life expectations?

Compensation - An employee needs to feel fairly valued to remain motivated in a job. Pay and benefits are the first factors looked at when deciding on fair compensation. However consider other sources of compensation as well. Is this job respected within the company? Is the work in this position recognized? Will my efforts be appreciated and make a difference?

Colleagues and community - Work should also fulfil a certain amount of your social needs. Ask yourself: Am I going to enjoy myself at this organization? Will I get on with my prospective colleagues? Is this a pleasant working environment? Do the employees seem happy and friendly?

Congruence - Are my values and goals in line with the job and organization? Will my expectations be met? Is my prospective manager someone I can relate to and respect?

Career opportunities - Are their sufficient career opportunities in this position and organization? Will the work challenge me and allow for personal growth and development?

When deciding on the right position for you, consider all the above. To what degree is each of the factors met by the job and by the organization? You deserve a job that truly enhances your life. Finding out whether the job you are interviewing for will engage you, in all senses of the word, is essential to career happiness and success.

To determine if this is the right job for you read through the examples of good, insightful questions to ask in your job interview.

Julia Penny is an organizational psychologist with many years experience interviewing and placing job candidates. She offers her expertise to jobs seekers at her free website which provides a complete guide to preparing for and succeeding in job interviews.

Why do employers always ask the “greatest weakness” interview question? It seems like they are trying to throw you off. I mean, you rehearse the answer to every possible question that you can think of, and then they ask, “What do you think your greatest weakness is?”

Job interviews are stressful even if you don’t have to answer this question. Regardless, interviews and tough questions are an integral part of career advancement, and you NEED to be able to ace them or you will find yourself stuck in a dead end job. Before you answer this question, you should know that there is no easy answer for it. The intent of this question is to throw you off course. The key is to not let them get away with it.

Be Prepared

A successful interview is dependent on good preparation. Learn as much as you can about the employer you are interviewing with. Study up on their people and their services. If you know who you’re dealing with, you will be less likely to become uneasy during the interview process.

Be prepared for difficult questions including the “greatest weakness” interview question.

Questions are meant to poke deep and reveal your weaknesses. Do not fake your way through tough questions. This will give employers the feeling that you will cheat and fake on the job when you are over stressed.

Short and Simple

The best way to answer any interview question is to answer it honestly and with as little fluff as possible. If an employer asks you what your greatest weakness is, you can state a weakness that you were able to overcome with your last job. You could even bring up a personal weakness not related to your ability to perform as an employee.

The worst thing that you could possibly say is that you are fault free. We are all human. Instead of claiming to be superhuman, use an example that shows how you were able to take a weakness and turn it into strength. This will make you sound resourceful and sure of yourself. It will also show employers that you are not afraid to admit your own weaknesses and work to improve them.

Being prepared to answer the “greatest weakness” interview question and other tough questions is the key to interview success. Always try to turn negative answers into positive solutions. This will impress your potential boss and may even land you the job.

CK Tan is the owner of JobAsiaSearch.com, a web site dedicated to assisting job seekers secure a job in Asia. If you need help in your Asia job search or looking for a job opening in Asia, visit http://www.jobasiasearch.com

Having worked in travel recruitment and headhunting for some time, I’ve learned a great deal about the way executive search agencies work. Even if you’re not actively looking for work, an enquiring headhunter call can boost morale or prompt a wage boost by your current employer eager to keep you at the firm, and of course if you are looking for work, then letting headhunters do the legwork will save you an awful lot of time and effort. But just how do you go about getting noticed by recruitment companies without speaking to them directly?

Be the Best you can Be

This one may sound like a complete cop-out, but the truth is that headhunters go for the exceptional. Don’t ever feel like you have no room to improve, and try to develop your skills as best you can. It’s tempting to think that if you’re not at one of the top companies in your industry, then you won’t fall onto the recruiter’s radar, but this is actually far from the truth - we know that there are skilful, talented workers at smaller companies just as there are overpaid, under skilled people working at the top firms. In short, headhunters look everywhere, so do your best to stand out no matter what level you’re at.

It’s all About Exposure

But of course, you can be super-talented and great at your job, but if you’re unknown outside of your office cubicle then you’re not going to get that call. The best way to do this is to give talks at conferences, write articles for industry publications and to be an expert in your field, but you may not be at a level where this exposure is possible. Start small - make your presence felt online. Increasingly, headhunters and recruiters are using the internet to find talented people whose names, for whatever reason, aren’t on the tip of everyone’s tongue. There are a number of places where you can upload your CV to be searchable, and equally being prominent on business social networks like LinkedIn can pay dividends. The only downside to this is that the less formal social networks like Facebook and MySpace are equally searchable - so make sure you maintain a degree of professionalism throughout your online dealings!Having worked in travel recruitment and headhunting for some time, I’ve learned a great deal about the way executive search agencies work. Even if you’re not actively looking for work, an enquiring headhunter call can boost morale or prompt a wage boost by your current employer eager to keep you at the firm, and of course if you are looking for work, then letting headhunters do the legwork will save you an awful lot of time and effort. But just how do you go about getting noticed by recruitment companies without speaking to them directly?

Be the Best you can Be

This one may sound like a complete cop-out, but the truth is that headhunters go for the exceptional. Don’t ever feel like you have no room to improve, and try to develop your skills as best you can. It’s tempting to think that if you’re not at one of the top companies in your industry, then you won’t fall onto the recruiter’s radar, but this is actually far from the truth - we know that there are skilful, talented workers at smaller companies just as there are overpaid, under skilled people working at the top firms. In short, headhunters look everywhere, so do your best to stand out no matter what level you’re at.

It’s all About Exposure

But of course, you can be super-talented and great at your job, but if you’re unknown outside of your office cubicle then you’re not going to get that call. The best way to do this is to give talks at conferences, write articles for industry publications and to be an expert in your field, but you may not be at a level where this exposure is possible. Start small - make your presence felt online. Increasingly, headhunters and recruiters are using the internet to find talented people whose names, for whatever reason, aren’t on the tip of everyone’s tongue. There are a number of places where you can upload your CV to be searchable, and equally being prominent on business social networks like LinkedIn can pay dividends. The only downside to this is that the less formal social networks like Facebook and MySpace are equally searchable - so make sure you maintain a degree of professionalism throughout your online dealings!

Let Your Clients Market You

It stands to reason that to have any hope of getting headhunted, you have to have an excellent reputation amongst your clients. Happy clients are likely to be vocal about recommending you to others. The effects of this are two-fold - firstly, more recommendations means word of mouth business for your company, raising your profile, and secondly direct word of mouth to headhunters and recruiters. Believe it or not, actually asking for suggestions of people to target is a big part of the headhunter’s day, and if you can be the first name on the lips of your clients, you’re that bit more likely to get the call from an executive search agency.

Network as if Your Life Depended On It

Don’t miss an opportunity to get your name known in your industry. Attend formal and informal events, network and make contacts. I can’t speak for all areas, but in my experience of travel recruitment, the community quite tight with everyone knowing everyone. Get into that inner circle, and you should instantly feel the benefit from good old fashioned ‘word of mouth’…

Follow these tricks and you should find yourself getting a few headhunting calls in no time. Remember that you’re under no pressure to accept a new job, but it never hurts to keep your options open!

Let Your Clients Market You

It stands to reason that to have any hope of getting headhunted, you have to have an excellent reputation amongst your clients. Happy clients are likely to be vocal about recommending you to others. The effects of this are two-fold - firstly, more recommendations means word of mouth business for your company, raising your profile, and secondly direct word of mouth to headhunters and recruiters. Believe it or not, actually asking for suggestions of people to target is a big part of the headhunter’s day, and if you can be the first name on the lips of your clients, you’re that bit more likely to get the call from an executive search agency.

Network as if Your Life Depended On It

Don’t miss an opportunity to get your name known in your industry. Attend formal and informal events, network and make contacts. I can’t speak for all areas, but in my experience of travel recruitment, the community quite tight with everyone knowing everyone. Get into that inner circle, and you should instantly feel the benefit from good old fashioned ‘word of mouth’…

Follow these tricks and you should find yourself getting a few headhunting calls in no time. Remember that you’re under no pressure to accept a new job, but it never hurts to keep your options open!

Gail Kenny is the managing director of Gail Kenny Executive Search, a headhunting recruitment agency specialising in travel recruitment The site caters exclusively to talented individuals with skills and experience to succeed in the travel management, and businesses looking for such candidates.

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