Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Review of Next-Day Job Interview

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next day job interviewJ6042I would be the last one to suggest you leave your interview preparation to the last minute. So, I hesitated when I saw the title of this book and its subhead: “Prepare tonight and get the job tomorrow.” Hmm…Maybe not a good idea to suggest this tact to job seekers? In fact, the authors note that, ideally, you will spend a week or two preparing for an interview.

However, I like the gist of the book – you don’t need to memorize pat answers to questions in order to get the job. This is something I absolutely agree with, so I thought it would be worth reviewing Michael Farr and Dick Gaither’s Next-Day Job Interview for my readers.

I was not disappointed! Even reading the introduction can help job seekers dramatically improve their readiness for an interview. Questions such as: “Can you talk the talk of the industry, using buzzwords, jargon and acronyms that are common to the industry?” and “Can you identify three prominent employment-related successes or achievements you’ve had and talk about your role in them?” These are two of the key, important elements of interviewing that I teach my clients.

The book continues by describing various interview formats. It’s important to be prepared to handle all different circumstances and types of questions, so this section is a great help.

Self-analysis (knowing what you have to offer – and how it relates to your targeted job) is another crucial aspect of interviewing well, and the book helps walk the reader through identifying his or her skills, as well as outlines important skills that most employers seek, such as the ability to learn, communication and writing skills and others.

This in-depth book also offers four different approaches to the all important question, “Tell me about yourself?” (Skills based, personal history, defined focus and “returning the question.” The descriptions include impressive suggestions and tips to think about how to respond to this “make or break” question.

Next-Day Job Interview is a very thorough, well designed book to assist the job seeker in mastering the all important interview stage. However, I really think the title is a bit of a misnomer, as I have yet to meet  job seeker who can really take full advantage of this terrific information in less than several weeks without a coach.

So, my advice? Get this book NOW – before you are preparing for a specific interview – use the tips and tricks and you will be way ahead of the game when you get the call for an interview “tomorrow.”

Win a copy of this book! Just comment on one of my blogs regarding the review. Enter at all of my posts for a better chance at the random drawing:
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Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to help you prepare for an interview! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

In Atlanta? GA is expecting > 10.7% unemployment. Get ahead of the game so you will be prepared to search for your next opportunity with local job search interventions: http://youneedajob.org/.


Why you didn't get the job

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soap45560773_1c6e342e73_mYesterday, I got on my soapbox and ranted about the fact that there is no one “right” way to search for a job. It might be nice (or maybe not), but there are so many people and twice as many opinions involved in every job posting, resume review, interview and hiring decision.

As promised, today – a look at why you didn’t get the job from my friend Stephanie Lloyd, Consultant on Talent Acquisition strategies and Owner of Calibre Search Group. Stephanie  wrote a great post on her blog, Radiant Veracity. It’s called “75 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job.“

(Stephanie is also a National Careers & Workplace Columnist for Examiner.com.)

Before you start to sweat and feel overwhelmed, the point of Stephanie’s list is to remind job seekers that, sometimes, the reason they do not land the job is more about the organization and situations than about any one specific thing that a job seeker does in the process. A sample:

  • You’re not qualified.
  • You’re overqualified.
  • You were overdressed.
  • You were underdressed.
  • The job was filled internally.
  • The job was put on hold.

See? You can’t please everyone all of the time. The fact is, personal preferences will enter into the process, and every individual has his or her own likes and dislikes. And, you don’t control when and if an employer’s needs change. It’s up to the job seeker to react flexibly in this ever-changing environment and to move deftly through the process.

I DO believe that every job seeker controls his or her own destiny, despite the fact that there may be aspects that you cannot change. Have you really done everything you can to improve your chances? Yesterday, I spoke to a potential client who was really doing most everything right, but I advised her how to ramp-up her networking and to improve her online presence by writing a blog. Take a critical look at what you can do differently to help improve your chances in this tough market.

I’m glad you are reading this! Be sure to look through my blog roll as well! Take and follow good advice from professionals about your job search and you are much more likely to land something in a reasonable time frame. You don’t need to go it alone…Save your time, money and sanity…Approach your search with the very best information and there is no need to get frustrated!

There is no “right” way, but there are things that you may be doing wrong! So, are you ready to get in the game? To grab the keys and climb the stairs to your own career bus? Let me help get you started ahead of the pack. Learn more about what I can do for you.

photo by thomashawk

Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to get jobs and propel your career

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tellmecovercorrect“So, tell me about yourself?”

Is that not the most obvious interview question? The one that every job seeker should anticipate and prepare to answer? Unfortunately, it may seem so obvious, many don’t spend the time they should focusing on how to answer it.

In fact, most aspects of the job search rely on being able to tell your own story.

  • Networking (the all important elevator pitch)
  • Your resume – connecting your accomplishments with the employer’s needs
  • Cover letter – another opportunity to sell your skills to a targeted employer
  • Portfolios – online opportunities to connect with people
  • Interviews – sealing the deal
  • On the job – to connect and advance

I highly recommend that job seekers take a look at Katharine Hansen’s new book, Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career.

Her book is organized into several sections:

  • Part I – Career propelling story basics
  • Part II – Using storytelling in your job search
  • Part III – Continuous storytelling

Katharine explains how stories can help you get a job by demonstrating your personality, helping to make you memorable and establishing trust. People who know how to tell good stories can communicate their value proposition, which is key for job seekers and careerists.

This book helps you with every aspect of telling your story – from figuring out what the story should be through tips for how to recall stories stored in your brain! (For example, give your stories names.) It is full of samples of stories and many, many ideas that are critically useful for job seekers and all professionals.

If you’re engaged in a job search – or maybe you should be – don’t miss this great resource!

UPDATED ON 6/21/11:

Could you use some help to come up with your story AND to learn how to tell it well in networking, interview and social networking situations? What about your resume? Does it tell your story and tell it well? I can help. If you’re ready to hire a pro to help you move ahead with your plans, contact me to find out how you can boost your job search – both online and off line. Check out my new book, Social Networking for Career Success, to learn how to tell your story in a way that can get you noticed.

Read Success for Hire for great advice about the hiring process

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success-for-hireAlexandra Levit is a business author and consultant who has written several books, including the popular business world survival guide, They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, How’d You Score That Gig? and Success for Hire.

I recently had the opportunity to review Success for Hire, which is targeted to employers to help them find and keep outstanding employees. In the book, Alexandra adroitly guides employers through a series of steps to help them target, attract and retain the very best candidates for their organizations.

It will be no surprise to job seekers that some employers do not plan their recruiting efforts as strategically as they might. Sometimes, the hire just doesn’t work out or employers inadvertently misrepresent the job to prospective candidates. If they all read and followed Alexandra’s advice, employers could save a lot of time, effort and money, and employees might be spared being put through a process that is less than stellar.

In her book, Alexandra outlines nine strategies for employers. Most interesting for job seekers? Number 4 – Create a Strategy for Interviewing. Job seekers may be surprised to learn that “most evidence has demonstrated that interviews have low reliability and validity, yet everyone continues to rely on them as the principal way of determining the future of their organization” (p. 49). Alexandra encourages interviewers to prepare questions that target specific criteria for the job. (This is great advice for job seekers as well, as they must be able to target their skills and accomplishments to the job’s requirements.)

She suggests guidelines from Martin Yate (2006), author of Hiring the Best. His guidelines for questions (and suggested examples) include:

  • Adaptability and suitability: What was the most difficult project you tackled in a previous job?
  • Motivation: What have you done that you are proud of?
  • Teamwork and manageability: Describe the best manager you ever had?
  • Management: How do you quantify your results as a manager?
  • Entry-level questions: How did you spend your vacations while at school?

The “interviewing” chapter expands on the different types of questions (closed-ended, open-ended, negative balance, reflexive, “hamburger helper” questions and mirror statements and silence). I was interested in reading up on the most recent research in this arena. Clearly, anyone hiring or trying to be hired can benefit from the research Alexandra included in her book about the interview process.

While I normally read (and write) information targeted only to the job seeker, reading Success for Hire was an informative and enjoyable change of pace. It is a good reminder to the well-researched job seeker that looking at books and information targeted at EMPLOYERS is a good idea. I highly recommend Success for Hire to people on both sides of the hiring desk!

Are You Jumping from the Frying Pan Into the Fire? Would You Accept a Position Because You are Desperate for a Job?

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Maybe you’ve been out of work for a while. You are watching your savings dwindle, the holidays aren’t looking very jolly and you are envisioning a long wait for the right job.

So, when you finally land an offer, it is easy to try to overlook the fact that:

  • During your interactions with the company, they treated you badly,
  • They weren’t particularly well organized and
  • Everyone working there seemed unhappy.

I’ve written about this before, but since today’s economy seems even more likely than ever to make job seekers grab the first job that comes their way, it seems a good time to remind everyone to consider a few important facts:

  • When a company is hiring, an applicant should assume that they (the company) are on their “best behavior” during the process.  So, if arrangements are disorganized, interviewers seem unfriendly, people around the office seem unhappy or disgruntled, someone makes a snide remark about the boss or HR is unclear about the position’s duties – consider yourself forewarned.
  • If you take a job with a company that you know comes with problems, you may very well be jumping from the frying pan (unemployment) to the fire (employment with a badly run organization).
  • If you are miserable in your new job, it will be difficult to spend time searching for yet another job, and you may wind up in a situation (if you leave the  new job) of explaining why you left, which is never easy.

The main point of this post is not to convince you not to take a job offer that will help you pay your bills. It’s to remind you that you should try not to let desperation make a decision for you. If you go into a situation with your eyes open to potential problems, don’t put on rose-colored glasses and assume everything is going to be okay. Use whatever skills you can muster to manage yourself and protect your career. Focus on how you can make the most of the situation while you are there.

I’m a big believer in the idea that awareness of a problem actually helps lead to a solution. So, if you take a job despite red flags during the interview process, remember that forewarned is forearmed. Act accordingly.

Have you REALLY done everything you can to help yourself and the RIGHT job? We can help! You may need a transformed resume, some outside-of-the-box advice and a professional to coach you along. I can help you! www.keppiecareers.com

photo by image-ination