Career Musings

Are you one of those candidates whose eyes turn to the ceiling, or who say “No” when asked if you have any questions? As a job seeker, professional or senior executive, you are smarter than that. You have already researched the company and have a list of questions to ask. After all, the interviewer(s) may have been so busy taking notes that they missed some of your key points, and you welcome another opportunity to emphasize those points.

One way of making sure that your key points were not missed and that you have demonstrated your value in the interview, is to be ready for this inevitable question – “Do you have any questions?” Here are some questions to ask:

What do you see as the priorities for this job in the first three months?

Their answer will give you more clarity and allow you to zero in on how your background closely matches those priorities.

Is there anything you’d like me to explain in more detail?

This question gives you a chance to delve deeper into your successes and illustrate your ability to exceed their expectations.

Do you have any doubts about my ability to do this job?

You may or may not get an answer to this question but if you do, it will help you to address any weaknesses or shortcomings they may have picked up during the interview.

Why did this vacancy occur?

You will want to know if it’s a newly-created position; if the person was let go, or if it’s a hot seat where no one stays for too long.

If I am the successful candidate, which duties would you like me to accomplish first?

This will go to the heart of where they are hurting, and you will have to be prepared to focus your energies in those areas first.

Since you are also interviewing the company, the responses to these questions will also help you determine if the company will be a good fit for you. Go ahead and boldly ask those questions. It’s another opportunity to tell your stories and get hired!

Image: Courtesy of Lifehack.org

We all clamour for that cup of coffee, and in my case, that cup of tea, to start our morning. On a Monday morning like this, we probably need more than one cup to get us started. What if you were being offered something much better than that cup of coffee or tea; something to put your career on the fast track to success? You can have it. It’s offered at our CareerTips2Go Café, and it’s longer lasting than what you get at Tim Hortons, Starbucks and even McDonald’s. Here’s what the Cafe provides:

1. A Coach-on-Call to assist you with your resume, interview, and other job search questions.
2. Step-by-step instructions on how to how to create your own story-telling resume.
3. Opportunities to learn how to leverage social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+) to build your professional network.
4. Tactics on researching companies, bypassing the gatekeepers and getting to the decision-maker
5. Strategies to increase your confidence and boost your self-esteem.
6. Access to up-to-date interview trends and case studies.
7. Coaching on how to articulate your accomplishments, strengths and potential to your next employer.
8. Up-to-date career resources and techniques at your fingertips.
9. On-demand coaching customized for you.
10. An objective voice to tell you like it is even though it might hurt.

Drop by and see what we have on the menu, and give us some feedback while you are there!

Do you have an interview today, or anytime soon? Are you nervous? Are your palms getting sweaty? Stop worrying because help is near.

While coaching a client last week, I suggested to her that she ask for some inside tips from the recruiter since he already knows the company where my client will be interviewing. He quickly reeled off the points below, and while they are not new, they could easily be overlooked by job seekers who are focused on practising answers to interview questions. Hopefully they will calm your nerves and help you to do well in the interview:

1. Arrive early and enter the building 15 minutes before your interview.
2. Bring three copies of your resume.
3. Interview attire is conservative, so dress accordingly.
4. If you have long hair, pull it back.
5. If you have several ear piercings, take out extra earrings.
6. If you have tattoos, cover them.
7. Take a Photo ID – preferably your current driver’s license.
8. Relax – answer questions honestly and you will do great.
9. It is OK to ask interviewer(s) to repeat a question, if you need clarification.
10. Do not accept anything to eat or drink.
11. When asked to “Tell me about yourself”, they mean your professional, not your personal background.

While reviewing these tips, others might come to your mind. Add them here.

To your interview success,

While companies put on their best face and say all the right words when trying to lure talented candidates, candidates need to be their own detectives and conduct due diligence to find out if the culture or the face of the company aligns with their values.  Fast Company gives some advice on how to clue in to a Company’s Corporate Culture and save yourself from headaches.

• Go beyond the company’s website in your research, and perform a Google search. Also look for them or their employees on LinkedIn and Twitter.

• Instead of focusing on the job title, the salary and that corner office you hope to occupy, take a step back and pay attention to the small things.

• Arrive 20 minutes early for the interview so you can see the happenings. Listen carefully to what employees are saying to each other; pay attention to their mode of dress and how they treat each other.

• Take a mental snapshot of your new boss’s office to see what’s important to him or her. Too many pictures of politicians when you are not the least bit interested in politics could be a sign.

• If you need specific answers to a burning question, ask your prospective boss to tell you a story, much like a behaviour-based interview. “Tell me a time when…. “. This could be quite revealing.

• After leaving an interview, sit down and make a list of everything you learned, and flag anything that is of concern to you. If something is bugging you, seek clarification before you accept the job.

• If you are close to accepting the job offer, but still have questions, arrange an informal meeting with the new boss over coffee or lunch. Size up how he or she interacts with others. That will give you a good clue as to what to expect.

What are your thoughts? Add your own comment below.

Source: Fast Company

Image courtesy of Jaunehibisbus

While this blog post is not really connected to November 11, and the Poppy, I have chosen its image as a reminder of the many people who paid and continue to pay the ultimate price for the freedom we so often take for granted. In their honour, I ask that you take a brief moment (less than 11 minutes) to read and understand the significance of this memorable poem written by Lt. Colonel John McCrae of the Canadian Army. In Flanders Field.

That said, today being 11/11/11, appears to have a significance of its own for many people and what’s going to happen after this date. An extract from the following blog post: The Aquarian Shift: What Will be Different in Our World After November 11,  states:

“You are ready to accept that you have the knowledge and wisdom within yourself. It is no longer necessary to attach to something outside yourself, but to become a leader of one: yourself. Instead of being a railroad car that is pulled by an engine, you become your own engine. It is your responsibility to stay on the tracks and to keep moving forward.”

Here are 11 things you can do to show you are, indeed, ‘leader of one – yourself’ – and that you have the courage to ‘become your own engine’:

1. “Greet your friends with a smile, and put soul into every handclasp.” – Elbert Hubbard
2. Show appreciation to those who have fought and continue to fight for world peace.
3. Learn to say “Thank You” in 11 different languages.
4. Pick up the phone and make one of those cold calls you’ve been procrastinating about.
5. Take 11 minutes out of your 15-minute break and mentor someone.
6. Randomly select 11 people from any of your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Google+ accounts, and send them a message to say how glad you are to have them in your network.
7. Take an 11-minute mind break to be alone with yourself. Even if you are in an office full of people, just take the time to be quiet.
8. Send a motivational quote, a tip or a favourite recipe to 11 people in your address book.
9. Write down 11 accomplishment statements you could use to improve your resume.
10. Write down 11 interview questions that you struggle to answer.
11. Send a LinkedIn invitation to 11 people with whom you would like to connect.

Happy 11/11/11, and to whatever significance you attach to it, if any.

…It probably is! Some time ago I wrote an article titled “Lying on Resumes Alarmingly Common”, where I referenced a newspaper article with the heading “Official Résumé Wrong”! Fast forward to 2011, and it appears the topic of ‘lying on résumés’ has reared it’s head again. As a matter of fact, one month ago, I was reviewing the résumé of a young man and when I questioned him about his most recent experience, he admitted he had fabricated it because “others were doing it.” As a career coach and professional résumé writer, I owe it to my clients and myself to make sure that the information is correct.

Officeteam recently conducted a survey and it reveals, once again, that most job seekers stretch the truth on their résumés, particularly when it comes to their job duties and education. The job market may be tough right now, but job seekers should refrain from embellishing their résumés as they will be found out, sooner or later.

Here are some tips that Officeteam has offered to employers on how they can verify information on résumés. Job seekers should take note:

How about you? Do you embellish, or have you lied on your résumé? Do you know anyone who does? Add your voice here!

Source: Officeteam

Related post: Lying on Résumés Alarmingly Common

A woman was waiting to be interviewed for a job she could have done with her eyes closed. While she sat in the reception area nervously awaiting her turn, a little voice in her head started playing games with her. “Why do you think they are going to choose you? What if they say your are overqualified? What if you get the position and it doesn’t work out?”

By the time they called her in, she was sweating profusely, negative thoughts and doubt had dominated her mind to the extent that she could not answer some of the interview questions. She became tongue-tied, and in some instances, froze. She was ‘a basket case’, according to her. As you can imagine, she lost out on that opportunity because she spent the entire time thinking of what could go wrong.

This situation plays itself out very often, not only in interviews but in other aspects of our lives. Probably you are feeling inferior; that you don’t measure up. Or, it is taking you a longer time to find the job and you are losing hope. Or, you have heard it too many times that “You were a close second, but we chose someone who was a better fit”.

These things happen, but don’t lose faith in yourself? Don’t quit. Obstacles are thrown in our paths to test our patience, determination and tolerance level. Don’t allow these obstacles to take control over your thoughts and actions and stop you on your path to success.

Were you planning to quit today? Hang in there, give it another try, stick to it until it is done, but don’t quit. Finish strong!

Have a great week!

PS: If you enjoy these snippets of encouragement, enter your email address in the box above to continue receiving them.

DON’T send a cover letter with “To Whom it May Concern”. It portends laziness and lack of interest.

DO the research to find the name of the person responsible for hiring.

DON’T use “References Available on Request” on your résumé.

DO use a quote from your performance appraisal or a testimonial that highlights your value.

DON’T replicate your job description when developing your résumé.

DO include powerful accomplishment-based statements that address the employer’s buying motivators or needs.

DON’T spend too much of your job search hours on the computer.

DO arrange more face time with people in your network.

DON’T send a generic Thank-you note after the interview.

DO send one that recaps key elements of the discussion and reiterates your interest in the position.

DON’T ask for a job at an informational interview.

DO ask for one or two names they recommend you contact.

DON’T relate your life story when asked “Tell me about yourself”.

DO talk about your education, work history, and what you have recently done for your company.

Image Credit: Dirjournal.com

Today’s post is about recognizing your value and asking for what you want, whether you are a man or woman!

Over the past several months I have become a fan of Morning Joe on MSNBC, with Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough and Willie Geist. After watching Mika interview some of the women profiled in her book “Knowing Your VALUE – Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth”, I decided to buy a copy. It’s an excellent read. She talks about how difficult it is for women to ask for what they want, especially asking for a raise or a promotion. While men are comfortable promoting themselves, and almost demanding what they want, women prefer to work, work, work hoping the boss will take notice.

While reading the book, I was struck by a couple of quotes from Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s senior advisor.

“I felt like if I was deserving, then my boss should recognize that I was deserving.”

After one of her mentors said to her, “You can’t sit around waiting for people to recognize your work, you have to ask for it”, she gathered her courage and went to her then boss.  Soon after that discussion, she got the promotion and the front office she had wanted.

That bold, courageous move prompted Jarret to say, “If you’re not asking for a promotion…you’re not going to get the gold ring”.

See, even high profile people like Valerie Jarrett, Mika Brzezinski and others quoted in the book, found it difficult to ask for what they truly deserved, and when they did, they got what they wanted. You are no different! You are ‘high profile’ in your own right. What is it that you would like to ask for, but are fearful about? Are you afraid to ask for the job during the interview? Are you worried that in the current economy you can’t ask for a raise? Are you waiting on your boss to give you the promotion that you know you deserve? As a small business owner or a coach, do you feel uncomfortable charging the fee you deserve for the services you provide?

Whatever it is, you owe it to yourself to ask for what you want…today! Go ahead, promote yourself, and see what happens!

Have a productive Monday!

Every so often I read a blog post or hear comments about the death of the ubiquitous résumé, and I am sometimes tempted to believe it. After all, it draws its competition from the overabundance of social media tools and, to a lesser degree, from individuals with the ‘gift of gab’ who can talk themselves into any job without a résumé.

But, let’s pause for a moment! Probably, the résumé isn’t dead after all. A few days ago, one of my clients was interviewed for a Senior Vice President position by the top three honchos of a company. They were impressed with the content and structure of his résumé because after the interview, he sent me the following note:

The Top Guy stated he had never seen a better résumé and appreciated the time and effort I put into it.  I was straight up and told him I solicited assistance. I said, “No one stands alone but draws on other people’s expertise as required”. He loved that.

Naturally, I was happy for him that things went well, and by the looks of  it, he may be getting an offer soon, but I also reflected on the CEO’s comment. This couldn’t have happened if it was a collaborative effort between the client and me. Before crafting the résumé, I put him to work by having him complete an assessment to uncover his strengths and the work environment in which he strives best. It was a worthwhile exercise for him as he wrote to say, “I want to express how important this process has been for me to re-evaluate my worth and experience. I have a fire I have not had in a while!”

The next step was to delve into his background, unearth his success stories and formulate them into a cohesive value proposition that articulates what he is good at, what he consistently does well, and how he delivers tangible results. He was stunned when he received the draft document and remarked, “To say we are blown away (the wife and I) would be an understatement. This is GOLD!”

Before meeting with company officials, we also discussed interview strategies – what to say, when to say it, and what to hold back.  This brings me back to the question, “Is the résumé really dead as some would have us believe?” Not really! Hiring managers and recruiters usually request one; job postings ask to submit one, and CEOs sometimes want to see one before agreeing to meet a candidate. What is on its way out is the résumé as it used to be. The one devoid of value-based scripts, filled with ‘responsible for…’ statements and does not address the employer’s needs or buying motivators. Such a résumé cannot stand up to the competition and will certainly meet its demise if it hasn’t already. On the other hand, the one that tells stories, focuses on major strengths, and promises value, that’s the résumé that will lead to interviews and then to a job offer.

What are your thoughts? Have your say below.