Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

The Behavioral Interview: Have STAR Job Stories to Share

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Each week in BusinessWeek, Jack and Suzy Welch contribute a column.  This week’s (April 7) column concerns questions for interviewing CEO candidates.

While most of us will not interview for a CEO position, it is interesting to note the questions the Welches suggested.  Some samples:

In your career, what’s the best example of you anticipating market changes that your competitors did not?

Can you point to any of your people who “grew up” with your guidance and  have gone on to succeed in your own company or beyond?

What was the toughest integrity violation you have encountered and how did you handle it?

Have you ever had to define yourself in the midst of criticism, and did you succeed?

You’ll note that all of these questions are behavioral in nature…They ask the interviewee to tell a story demonstrating his or her abilities regarding the question. The point of the behavioral interview question is to determine how a candidate has behaved in the past, thus suggesting their future behavior.

Answering behavioral questions requires some preparation.  Consider the “STAR” technique:  Answer this type of question by offering:

S – situation.  Describe the scene.  Offer some background for the listener.
T – task.  Elaborate on the work that you did to solve or address the problem.
A – action.  Describe what you did.
R – result. Don’t forget to explain how it all came out.  Hopefully, you were the hero in a story with a happy ending!

It’s a good idea to have some stories that describe obstacles you’ve overcome, including problems with colleagues or bosses, as well as several stories describing successes.  Have some “job stories” to share and you’ll be better prepared to explain what you have to offer an employer.

Soft Skills Get the Green Light at B-Schools

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The April 7 issue of BusinessWeek reminds job seekers that “soft skills”  are important and valued in the workplace.   (Note:  my search for a link to this story reveals that an expanded version appeared online.)

Business schools, including MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, the University of Virginia and Babson College are offering management communications classes to teach “soft skills,” such as teamwork and leadership.  Courses such as theatre are intended to enhance communication skills, build confidence and foster team building, all important managerial traits.

You can bet that top business schools would not spend their time teaching Shakespeare  if employers weren’t seeking these important job skills.  Don’t overlook your emotional intelligence.  Highlight skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership in your resume and demonstrate how you have been successful using them!

Keppie Careers will help you highlight all of your key skills with a top-notch resume.  We advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers:  www.keppiecareers.com

Counter-intuitive Advice: Talk to People Who "Can't Help You"

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“You don’t know enough to know what it is you don’t know.”

Does that describe you?  I bet that it does about some things.  Hopefully, there are areas about which you can confidently say you know a lot, but for most of us, especially in our high tech, ever changing world, there is always more to learn.  How many are experts in everything?  I would challenge you to find someone who could give you good advice about anything you might ask.

As part of my work for Keppie Careers, I keep a close eye on career and resume trends by reading books, blogs and keeping in touch with my advisory board of professionals in an array of industries.  

When I’m not writing resumes, coaching, blogging and reading, in the spirit of “practice what you preach,” I also frequently meet people for “informational interviews.” I attend Chamber of Commerce meetings, visit close-contact networking groups and seek out an array of networking opportunities.  It is amazing to me how our  need for networking (as entreuprenuers and as job seekers) has spawned a whole industry of people for whom networking is actually their business!

I’ve been to coffee with real estate professionals, a dentist, investment advisors, life coaches, travel professionals, vitamin sales people, photographers and a salesperson trainer, just to  name a few.  It never ceases to amaze me how much we have to share with each other, and the possible “touch points” between our businesses or our networks. 

Taking the time to meet these professionals offers me the opportunity to share information about my business, but more importantly, I have a chance to learn about programs, events and opportunities I might never have considered.  I also try to share something that will help them and offer to be a resource.

In a recession, it is even more important to expand our circles when job seeking. 

Some lessons:

Never underestimate the possibility for really interesting common ground.  Some of the meetings I’ve least felt like getting up at 6 a.m. to attend have been the most productive in terms of what I’ve learned.

Just because someone isn’t in your field doesn’t mean they don’t have useful information for you.  (Or you for them.) Our lives intersect in so many points.  Think of someone you consider least likely to be able to share good information with you for your search.  Meet for coffee.  You may be surprised!

Open your eyes to the opportunities!  Seek out places to meet new people.  Join an organization, a new health club or take a class.  Google “networking opportunities, (your city)” and see what comes up!  Then, don’t just attend, be an active participant.

I attended a great meeting last night.  It’s a networking group for women and is held at a home over dinner.  We all shared information about our businesses and there was time for chit-chat.  It was up to all of us to see how we could help each other.  I could have done my “elevator pitch,” listened to everyone else’s, and left.  That wouldn’t have been networking, though.  That would have been attending an event. 

I challenge you – find a new place to meet people and engage them.  You never know how you might be able to help each other.  Networking, or netweaving, is all about giving and getting.  I was a lot of fun for me to be able to connect several of the women at the event last night to other contacts in their fields, even though we had no obvious professional commonalities. 

Engage – ask questions…be able to explain who you are and what you do.  Don’t underestimate the value of every connection.  Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows something.  Inserting yourself as part of the chain is a great step in the right direction!

Networking sounds too hard? Even if you are shy, you can learn how to be effective at networking!  Keppie Careers will help you.  Need a great resume?  Mock interview?  Contact Keppie Careers.  We advise, encourage and enlighten job seekers and offer a toolbox of practical tips and support.

Discover Your Value Propositon – The Elevator Pitch, Part II

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In a previous post, I outlined the importance of writing your value proposition or “elevator pitch.”  To recap, this is a short (30-second), prepared speech that addresses the questions, “Who are you?” and “What do you have to offer?”

In Part One, I suggested writing down your top five work and personal accomplishments. 

Now, think about what you want to achieve.  Tie these achievements to the target’s needs…

What problem do they (or their organization) have that you can help solve?  Remember, although the pitch describes what YOU offer, it is really about your target.   In fact, you should alter your pitch depending on your target.  (Once you have something solid worked up, it will be easy to adjust it depending on your audience.)

Offer specifics about your skills and accomplishments that address the target’s problems. Are they lagging in sales?  Maybe you have a fabulous sales track record.  Do they need new written materials?  Bring up your background and accomplishments in revising or creating such materials.  In other words, you are the answer to their problem!  (Who doesn’t want to meet the person who solves their problems?)

Demonstrate your interest and excitement about your work.  No one wants to engage a cold fish.  Don’t go overboard (no jumping on couches a la Tom Cruise), but be sure that you sound passionate about what you have to offer.

Practice your pitch.  Memorize it until you could say it if someone woke you up from a nap.  Once you know what you have to offer, it will be easy for you to tweak your pitch depending on the target and what their needs may be.

You may be surprised at how useful it is to have an elevator pitch ready at a moment’s notice.  It’s useful for networking as an answer to the question, “What do you do?” and you can rely on it as an introduction to a great “gate opener” (someone who has the potential to connect you to someone who may be instrumental in your job hunt).  

By sharing information about who you are and what you do that is targeted to the individual who could use your services, you are several steps ahead of most job seekers and professionals who are not prepared to describe what they offer.

Keppie Careers can help you with every aspect of your job search.  Need a resume?  Help with your linkedin.com profile?  Interview prep?  Take advantage of our experience:  www.keppiecareers.com

Should You Have a Board of Advisors?

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Recently, Marci Alboher’s Shifting Career’s article in the New York Times hosted a guest author on the topic of a personal board of advisors:

A personal board of directors is simply a collection of people who know you, are interested in your well-being, and have useful points of view. You consult with them on a regular basis -– say once every six months….A person doesn’t have to be famous, influential or even successful to be a good board member. All that’s required is knowledge in a particular area. Your sister may offer better insight than the head of a trade association.  

In the comments section of Alboher’s post, many laughed at the idea, suggesting that these advisors use to be called “friends.”  However, as Alboher notes in her introduction, assembling a personal board  is not a new concept.  In the press toward personal branding, professionalizing advice that we might normally seek from friends and family is not a surprising jump.

Someone who is stuck in a career or job and doesn’t know what to do next can benefit from purposefully assembling advisors. Networking throughout your career is one way to create an informal group of advisors (maybe even a mentor if you are lucky). 

Of course, it is important to vet your advisors.  You don’t want people who will always agree with you, but you do want people who know you, your situation and are skilled in the topic about which you need advice.  Asking the wrong people (those who don’t have your best interests at heart or don’t know what they are doing) defeats the purpose.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to hire advisors.  For example, if you need tax, financial planning or legal advice, you may want to consult a professional.  (Shameless plug:  if you need a resume written, do seek advice from those in your field, friends and relatives, but recognize that most of them probably do not have resumes that optimize their skills and accomplishments. You’ll do better if you hire someone to write it for you.  I’m not the only one offering this advice!)

Keppie Careers has a board of advisors to inform us about career trends in various industries.  Need a resume?  Job hunting advice?  Keppie Careers will help you every step of the way!  www.keppiecareers.com