Interviewing is really an art as much as it is a science. Being successful depends on a combination of preparation, know-how and the ability to connect with the audience. Something most job seekers don’t consider – your interviewer HOPES you are the best candidate for the job. Think about it – who wants to interview and interview and never find a great fit for the job?

Some ideas to help turn your interviewer into a FAN!

1. Convince yourself that the interviewer really WANTS to hire you.
The fact is, it is tough to hire a quality employee. I can say from experience that your interviewer hopes that you WOW him or her with your answers and give fabulous reasons to hire you.  In essence, the interviewer is rooting for you!

2. Know what to say. 
Prepare in advance.  A lot.  No, you don’t have to memorize answers to 100 interview questions, but be sure that you spend time thinking and practicing what you will say in response to topics that will come up:

• Think of your key points (as they relate to how you fit into the job).  These points are your message.  They answer the question:  Why should we hire you?
• Create several stories that illustrate your points and describe how you are able to fill the organization’s needs.  Stories should demonstrate successes, a time you overcame obstacles and examples of how you interact with colleagues and employers. Use the STAR technique to describe these situations.
• Incorporate the fact that you’ve conducted research on the organization, their goals, values, accomplishments and needs in your answers.  Your interviewer will be happy to know that you spent some time on the organization’s website or reading up on them.  It’s flattering to know that you’re interested enough in the job to prepare.  Interviewers love prepared candidates.

3. Listen carefully and answer the question. 
You won’t believe how many candidates reply to a direct question without actually answering it.  It can be a little painful for the interviewer.  Ask for clarification if necessary, even think for a few seconds before replying.  (Not too many seconds, though.)  If you don’t answer the question, you’ll lose your fan.

4. Don’t keep talking and talking (and talking)…
There is no quicker way to lose your audience than by droning on and on before you get to the point.  If it doesn’t seem that you’re getting to the point, you will lose your audience quickly.  Even if you do (eventually) answer the question, your interviewer will be busy making mental notes about what to pick up for dinner by the time you get to the point.  Be succinct.  Your interviewer will love it!

5. Follow Up
Send a thank you note.  It matters.

If you follow these tips, you’ll increase the likelihood of keeping a fan on the other side of the interview table.  That fan is much more likely to become a colleague if they like you as much when you leave the room as they did when they invited you to interview!  It’s in your hands – interview to seal the deal and GET THE JOB!

Stay tuned for some additional tips from Keith Ferrazzi!

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Sandra Naiman, author of The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook: The Unwritten Rules for Success at Work (JIST, 2009) [read my review HERE] echos the sentiment that the “holiday season is a great time to enlarge and reactivate your network.  That is not to say that you ask people if they have or know of a job; however social networking sites, letters and cards are a great way to get back on people’s radar screen.”

She suggests that you create inexpensive ways to bring people together at your house – such as a cookie baking party where everyone cooks and shares cookies and candies with everyone else. “Again, your objective is to connect with as many people as possible and create opportunities for follow up, where appropriate, after the holidays.”

A fun idea – host your own party!

Another author, Richard S. Deems, who wrote, Make Job Loss Work For You (Jist 2010) with his daughter, Terri Deems, suggests job seekers move their focus to direct (in-person) networking during the holidays to take advantage of the generally good mood. Richard reminds us how important it is to follow up, which is key!

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Last year, on December 23rd,  I called an applicant to invite her for an interview. She cried. She told me I didnâ€t know what it meant to her to receive my call, the best Christmas present she ever could have gotten. Then I got all choked up…… She thought it was impossible to get an interview during the holidays.

She lost her job 2 months earlier and since then had spent countless hours scouring job boards, employment websites and submitting resumes. Mine was the first call she had received. She was amazed the call had come within minutes of clicking the submit button.

Iâ€m blogging this to let you know to not relinquish your job search because it is a certain season. Employers have year round needs and opportunity. We may take a little time to decorate, eat cookies and take a few days off but we still need to conduct business and meet our goals to accomplish our mission.

If you are unemployed you canâ€t afford to “take a vacation” from your job search. You must be relentless. Rise each morning as if you are going to work and then go to work on finding opportunity that matches your skills and employment goals.

Treat your job search as a full-time job!

When you find yourself becoming discouraged, remember that when you are depressed and down on yourself it shows and it could impact your interview. Think of your job search for what it is… you are marketing your skills and yourself as a product for prospective employers to lease. Thatâ€s right, an employer leases your time and talent! Make yourself as marketable as possible, showcasing your talents. An employer must feel that if they do not hire you they will be losing out.

If you fear rejection think about it this way.. In sales it can take 10 “noâ€s” to get a “yes.” You might get the yes the first or tenth time you ask for the sale, you canâ€t predict. Each “no” you get brings you closer to the “yes!” To be effective, you need to be steadfast and approach each potential customer with the same confidence and presentation – because that could be your sale. If you waiver, become doubtful, skip a step or lack thoroughness you could jeopardize the sale.

A job search is no different!

The key to a successful job search is to remain steadfast and remain consistent in your approach.

• Treat each opportunity as if it will be a a “yes” and know that each “no” will only bring you closer to your new employment.
• Present yourself to each employment opportunity as if it were the only opportunity. It will keep you sharp and make you work hard to win it.
• Prepare for each opportunity by researching each company you apply to then target your resume for that particular job. Itâ€s time consuming but it will stand out from the mass template submissions employers receive. Invest the same time and energy in your resume as you would if you were on the job and being paid to create an important presentation or report.
• If you have anything less than a professional sounding email address create a new account such as firstname.lastname@host.com. Whimsical, cutesy, goth, TMI, sexual in nature, etc., type email addresses are simply inappropriate. After all, at least in my inbox the first thing I see, my first impression of a candidate, is their email address.

The key is to maintain a consistent professional image from A to Z

Keep a spreadsheet for (or jot in a notebook) the positions you have applied to. Include the company, contact, phone number, email address and date submitted.

Follow up with a call or email a few days later to ask if you are being considered a candidate. If the answer is no, ask for feedback on why. Donâ€t be afraid to ask – It will help you understand employer and industry needs and help you refine and target your search to match your skills. Thank the Recruiter for taking the time to provide you with valuable feedback and ask to be considered in the future for positions that match your qualifications. If a Recruiter has been particularly helpful it canâ€t hurt to follow up with a brief thank you email or note.

Start answering your phone in a professional way. “Hello, this is Sam” is a good greeting. Answering with “Yeah, who is this?” is less than impressive to a potential employer.

When a potential employer calls understand that is the first step in the interview process. That call is a phone screen. Put a mental “suit” on and conduct yourself professionally as if you were in a face-to-face interview.

If you are invited to interview in person ensure you arrive 10 minutes early. If you are not familiar with the location do a dry run. The day of the interview is not the day to get lost. Use that 10 minutes to psych yourself up for the interview and envision the job offer.

Dress, speak and act like the position you aspire to. One step up from the position you are interviewing for is a good guideline. Put on your best clothing and grammar (without gum in your mouth, of course), hold your head high and pretend you are the leading role in a movie. Be self-conscious of your posture and body language. Try really hard to have good eye contact.

Listen carefully to the interviewerâ€s instructions and questions. Focus and answer appropriately. Donâ€t deviate from the questions and do not offer up personal information. Remember it is a job interview and keep your comments to your skills, abilities and talents in regard to the position you are interviewing for. Arrive prepared to discuss examples of your performance, teamwork and people skills at prior places of employment.

Let the interviewer know you have done your research. Ask questions to show you are interested and engaged. If you donâ€t know what to ask some possibilities are about the number of employees and/or locations, what is a typical day like for a person in the position, examples of employee recognition, etc.

Thank the interviewer and offer a handshake. If you are still interested in the company at the end of the interview tell the interviewer. Something like, “I am very interested in this position, more so now after the interview and meeting you.” Ask for a business card and send a follow-up thank you email as soon as possible.

Be sure to take a look at all the great advice from my colleagues:

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – Take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

Part 5 – Wendy Enelow – Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers

Part 6 – GL Hoffman – Use time to research and prepare

Part 7 – Meghan M. Biro – Use the holidays as a time for self assessment

Part 8 – Craig Fisher – Recruiters donâ€t ease up during the holidays – neither should you

Part 9 – Ronnie Ann – Take advantage of other peoples†resolutions

Part 10 – Alison Doyle and Andrea Santiago – Use parties and festive occassions to fuel your job search

Part 11 – Sharlyn Lauby – Take your job search social

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While youâ€re at it, donâ€t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…Iâ€d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since weâ€re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

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JobWeb has some great information about how to handle illegal interview questions. They point out that you have a few options if faced with a question you think is inappropriate. (Hat tip to Karen Burns at Working Girl for the link!)

• You are free to answer the question. However, keep in mind that if you provide this information, you may jeopardize your chances of getting hired, in the event you provide the “wrong” answer. There may be a legal recourse available to you, but this is not the preferred outcome for most job applicants.
• You can refuse to answer the question. Unfortunately, depending on how the refusal is phrased, you run the risk of appearing uncooperative or confrontational, and losing the job. Again, there may be legal recourse, but this is hardly an ideal situation.
• You can examine the question for its intent and respond with an answer as it might apply to the job. For example, if the interviewer asks, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” or “What country are you from?,” you have been asked an improper question. You could respond, however, with “I am authorized to work in the United States.” Similarly, if the interviewer asks, “Who is going to take care of your children when you have to travel for the job?” your answer could be, “I can meet the travel and work schedule that this job requires.”

Follow this link for more information to help teach you to identify questions no one should ask you!

Don’t forget, in general, it’s a good idea to view the interview as YOUR opportunity to evaluate the employer. Watch for warning signs during your interview!

–

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

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If you are looking for a job, would you call yourself tenacious?

Dictionary.com defines it as:

te⋅na⋅cious  [tuh-ney-shuhs]

–adjective

1. holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold (often fol. by of): a tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.

2. highly retentive: a tenacious memory.

3. pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate.

4. adhesive or sticky; viscous or glutinous.

5. holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

I guess, as far as my cat goes, “glutinous” is a good fit, but I think focusing on “pertinacious, persistent, stubborn, or obstinate” is a better definition for our purposes discussing job search!

What can you do?

Are you really going after what you want? Or, are you approaching your job hunt with the spine of a wet noodle? Do you think you can’t make an impact on the results of your search? I make a practice of telling my clients that they DO drive their own career bus. It is up to you to take the wheel. (More details about this HERE.)

Read here to learn how to stand out in a sea of sameness and here to see how following up can keep you top of mind.

Seize control of what you can! Don’t be a victim of circumstances. Drive your own career bus!

No one wants to hire someone who has thrown in the towel.

If you haven’t changed the way you are “driving through” your career or job search, what is holding you back?

While you’re at it, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!

If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you!

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Karen’s claim to fame is that she held 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities and 4 countries. (Mind you, she started when she was 9.)  All that job hopping and experiences led to a lot of terrific life lessons. One of my favorites was the chapter on “Advanced Job Hunting.” Here, Working Girl notes:

The best way to get a job you will LOVE is to figure out:

• What you want to do,
• Where you want to do it,
• and WHO you want to do it for,
• and then go apply at places that supply all that, whether or not they “have an opening (p. 96).”

Another reason I liked this book? It gives advice that mirrors what I tell my clients! For example, job seekers should:

• Be prepared. (To talk about what you have to offer.)
• Be cool. Job hunt from a position of strength.
• Be irresistible.  Build a website. Write a blog. Comment on other blogs.
• Be in the loop. Ask for help.
• Be thorough. Find as much as you can about potential employers.
• Be persistent.
• Be real. (Not arrogant.)
• Be patient.

(Read more on pages 97-99.)

This book encourages readers to take their own paths (even suggesting reading the book itself in random order) and reminds job seekers and careerists that, while there are certain factors that may be out of their control, the journey along the way can be exciting and even fun! I’d recommend this terrific guide to anyone who needs some practical, down-to-earth advice about job seeking, job hopping and finding your career bliss!

Here is Karen’s video about her book:

You know what you want to do, but need help getting there? Learn how I can help you find a job!

The post The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use appeared first on Keppie Careers.

I’ve started participating in a few in-person networking groups recently as a career search expert. Have you been to this type of group – where everyone stands up and gives their elevator pitch? I noticed something in a few of the groups I attended – most people focus their pitch on what they WANT and don’t include anything along the lines of what they OFFER.

Think about it…If someone approaches you and starts talking about themselves and what they want, how closely will you listen? Statistics demonstrate that people don’t typically have very long attention spans to listen to other people talk.

Now, think about talking to someone who focuses on YOUR needs. A little more interested? I bet you are! Who doesn’t want to hear someone describe how he or she solves your problems!

The lesson for job seekers: your pitch needs to focus on your target and how you have just what he or she needs!

Need help with your job hunt? Learn more about how I can help you!

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I first meet Ellen Sautter and Diane Crompton, co-authors of the book, Seven Days to Online Networking, last April, and wrote about their presentation sharing some details from the book. I have since had the opportunity to get to know Ellen by attending a weekly networking event with her. Anyone looking forward to reading the book should know that Ellen really lives by the philosophy of helping job seekers connect and goes out of her way to be generous and helpful to anyone who requests her advice and assistance.

Ellen and Diane’s book really does cut down the clutter to help job seekers and others dive into social networking in a short amount of time. By first explaining WHY you would want to network with millions of people (!), exploring the issue of how to find the time and identifying the importance of social networking, they bring the reader to the “guts” of the book – How to Stand Out in the Cyberspace Crowd.

With a market flooded with profiles, blogs and digital dirt, can one person really make inroads and “be someone” online? The answer is yes – if you know what you are doing and how to get there! Ellen and Diane offer an easy to understand and digest tutorial to help even the most resistant networker join the fun online.

Readers will learn the “do’s and don’ts” of online networking, how to optimize their use of blogs (their own or others’), various professional networking sites to explore (such as XING and Ryze) and how to start thinking about a “webfolio” – information on a website identifying skills and accomplishments.

I highly recommend Seven Days to Online Networking to anyone who is overwhelmed at the prospect of jumping online, but recognizes how important it is for career success. WIN a copy! Leave a comment here and at my other blogs for a chance in a random drawing!

GreatPlaceJobs

Examiner.com

Secrets of the Job Hunt

Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to teach you everything you need to know! 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.

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Interested in some great tips about how to use social networking for your job hunt? Wonder why you should conduct vanity searches regularly and what to do if you have the same name as a death row inmate(!) Do you know about pipl.com and why you should incorporate it into your search? I have just the resource for you…

I hope you’ll listen to the High Velocity Radio Show, guest hosted by Stephanie A. Lloyd of Radiant Veracity. I was a guest along with  Jenny DeVaughn, Senior Talent Consultant with Talent Connections. (There we are in the picture at lunch after the show.) We talked about using social media for both recruiters and job-seekers. Listeners will gain lots of inside tips and tricks!

You can listen to the show by clicking HERE.

We were joined in the studio by Lee Kantor, co-host, who runs Business RadioX, “an Atlanta-based internet radio network that helps entrepreneurs and business owners connect with their prospects and dramatically grow their businesses by hosting their own radio show and podcasting it on the internet.” If you are in Atlanta, be sure to review Business RadioX to learn about opportunities to host a radio show!

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In the piece, they highlight a former Wall Street executive who decided to go to school to become a chef after losing her finance job. It had been a long-time dream, and she decided to view the lay-off as a doorway to a new career.

The woman in the segment was able to use her savings to pay for schooling, but Marci suggests in the piece that there is scholarship money for those willing to look for it. If you are considering changing fields and retraining, another NBC segment (Recession Proof Jobs) suggests the following industries to consider:

• Healthcare. Reports show that 1 in every 5 jobs in the next 5 or 6 years will be in health care. This includes doctors and nurses, home healthcare aides and new medical technology experts.
• Education. In certain parts of the country, especially in the west (California, Utah) as well as in places such as Georgia and Kansas, there is a big need for post-secondary teachers, elementary school teachers and substitutes. Apparently, Connecticut has such a shortage of subs, they were calling in parents to watch classes when teachers were out! While substitute teaching isn’t necessarily a career path itself, you can certainly look into this option while pursuing other training or looking for steady work.
• Technology. There’s a big need for network systems administrators and main frame experts.

Unless you already have a background in these fields, re-training will be required, but at least you’ll probably be buying yourself some job security for the next few years!

None of these areas appeal to you? Lindsey Pollak suggested some other resources to consider in a recent blog post. Some of her suggestions:

• North Dakota is experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.
• BusinessWeek offers a list of places to ride out the recession.
• The following industries have potential, according to one study: railroads and utilities, the logging and mining sector, food, drink and tobacco manufacturing as well as oil pipeline transportation.
• President-elect Obama pledged to create a huge public works program to stimulate the economy, which will mean jobs in that sector. Lindsey suggests that  “you could set up a Google news alert for phrases such as “public works,” “national infrastructure” or “expanding broadband access” to keep abreast of this growth segment.
• Accounting is a growth industry.
• Looking to move outside the U.S.? Lindsey notes that Australia and Dubai are two hotbeds of job opportunities to consider.

The point is – even if you aren’t interested in moving to North Dakota, Australia or Dubai, keeping your options open and thinking beyond the obvious could help propel your search. With open eyes and a strong career search strategy, there ARE opportunities, even in an economy that seems to be spiraling down the drain.

What other locations or fields are offering opportunities? Share your thoughts in the comments!

You’ll want to be competitive no matter what your field of choice. I can help you succeed by writing a great resume and teaching you how to leverage your strengths and skills for today’s job market! www.keppiecareers.com.

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