While watching my niece’s soccer game recently, there was one girl on her team that was obviously very skilled. This particular girl worked mostly alone and tended to be a ball hog. While she played hard it was noticeable that there was a disconnect with her and the rest of the team. When asked about her I was told that although an excellent player, her attitude and behavior toward her teammates was very negative. On the field the rest of the players had a hard time playing with her and working as a team.

My niece said because there was so much animosity the coach had begun to play her less and the team was actually playing more effectively. The team knew they should leave their personal issues and conflicts off the field but they found it hard to do. This girl was creating enemies and missing out on utilizing her obvious talents to help her team. This situation is not uncommon in the school, teams, volunteer activities and in the workplace as well.

When looking to meet new contacts, networking, and especially when interviewing being likeable and a team player can be as important as what you have accomplished or your expertise. There is an abundance of competent competition and sometimes the only thing that may help you stand out, is You – your unique personality, your friendliness and your likeability.

The key is to know that fine line that allows you be confident not arrogant when sharing your skills, achievements and expertise sounding, friendly and like a team player. Like the soccer player, working alone and trying to hard to show off your skills may not be the best course to getting noticed. Instead be sure to demonstrate genuine friendliness and the successes you have had working with others to show employers how you will fit into their culture and work environment.

How you treat others, your willingness to be a team player and your personality are things to be very aware of while you are searching for a job and while you are in a job. A pleasant demeanor is vital when you are working and it will help your employer determine if a raise is deserved, if a promotion will be yours and if a strong recommendation will be given when you look for another job in the future.

Getting along with others and being nice should be a given, but for some it is something that needs to be kept in check or it will hold them back, so be nice!

Just as in dating, with job search success often comes a few rejections. Hearing the dreaded words, “We decided to go with another candidate” can be enough to knock the wind out of anyone’s sail. Candidates that strive to learn from rejection are those that will land the right job quicker.

Some lash out in anger regardless of why they received the rejection and even go so far as to bad mouth the company or write negative comments about the company on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace.  Burning bridges in any economy is not a good idea. On occasion candidates are called back and offered the position if the first choice doesn’t work out.  It may be detrimental to your chances with future companies too, remember that companies often research candidates when they are interested and they will be able to read your comments.

Keeping a positive outlook and professional demeanor will help you to look at things from both sides and see the big picture that will hopefully help you to keep moving forward even with rejections. Whether or not you learn from your experiences is up to you and it is determined by how you respond to the rejections.

Two ways to learn from the rejections are to look at yourself externally and internally. External learning refers to finding out what others think of your resume documents, networking techniques, interview skills and your overall professional impression. If you are not sure of what others think of you professionally – ask! Only good can come from it, either you are doing a great job and you will receive a well deserved compliment or you receive guarded criticism and learn from what others are offering as suggestions for improvement.

If you are contacted after an interview with the dreaded rejection email or phone call, ask a few questions to find out what exactly were the points that worked against you. Maybe you were not as prepared as you should have been or maybe you appeared over/under confident and it worked against you. What ever the reason, it is important you find out so you can make corrections in your appearance, behavior, interaction or presentation to make you more competitive for the positions you target.

Looking internally can also provide pertinent information about your job search and interviewing techniques. Think back to your most recent interview or networking event and focus on your verbal skills. How did you present yourself? Were you able to ask and answer questions easily about your job search and more specifically about you the skills and value you present to a company? What cues did you send with your non-verbal language? Had you prepared enough before the meeting so that you were fluent on the company’s history, mission, goals and culture? Spend time going through the meeting and look for clues as to where you are having issues and then find ways to correct them.

Rejection can be humiliating and hurt but they are part of the job search process and a vital source of information for improvement. What you project and what you think you project are sometimes two different pictures. Take time to learn from others and yourself to improve your presentation and interviewing skills. Simple modifications may be all it takes to eliminate rejection and take your interview skills from bland to brillian.

I spoke with a senior manager in HR earlier this week and listened to another account of a candidate that talked himself out of a job. Why would a candidate talk themselves out of job? Well, I’m sure they didn’t do it on purpose and they may not have even been aware of their own self-inflicted sabotage. Many job seekers ruin their opportunities for landing terrific jobs simply by talking too much during the interview.

People that talk too much during an interview usually fall into 1 of 3 categories; naturally talkative, nervous talkers and those that think more is always better.

For those that are naturally talkative, they probably know they talk a lot. They were the kids that got notes sent home for talking in class (yep, that was me) and can be found in line at the grocery store talking with perfect strangers. You know who you are and know you can talk easily with most people, sometimes too easily.

The nervous talkers just start talking and get out of control providing way too much information and hoping they’ll eventually say something of value. Nervous talkers tend to talk just to hear something and so as not to hear the silence that is normal in an interview. Both you and the interviewer need time to digest what has been said and use it to formulate a new question or response. Silence is fine, but for those that get nervous, silent can be your worst enemy. Being aware is half the battle.

Finally there are those that just think more is always better. Their answers are 10 minutes long with most of the information given being irrelevant or even damaging. They think if they tell everything, good and bad, then they’ll have a better chance of hitting the mark and being remembered. Wrong! You’ll be remembered, but not for what you had hoped.

There are many reasons why excessive talking can be so damaging. Regardless of why you talk, if you are rambling on without getting to the point it can say a lot about you. The interviewer will have to work hard to follow your tale and hopefully understand why it took so long to get to the point. They may wonder if this is an indication as to what your job performance will be like. Or if your talking reflects your communication skills and how you might interact with team members or staff in a supervisory role.

The worst part of talking too much during an interview is the extra information (potential ammunition) you give to employers. It is important to be honest and answer questions you are asked but your answers should remain focused at all times. For example, if they ask you a question on office politics don’t give an answer by indulging in past office gossip or talking poorly of coworkers or your boss. Answer the question and stay on topic.

The best way to keep control over what you might say in an interview is by preparing before the interview ever takes place. Write out answers to 20 or 30 of the most common types of interview questions. Use specific, concise examples in answering the questions but don’t let the answers be more than a couple of minutes long. If you have a few touchy spots in your past, make sure you work on how you’ll honestly, but positively, answer those questions. Practice your answers so that you’ll easily remember the answer when asked in an interview and therefore you won’t need to think out loud or let your nerves get the best of you.

I know I’ve written often about the importance of preparation but it really is critical to all parts of your job search, most importantly your interview success. Learn about the company, prepare answers to many types of interview questions and make sure to really listen to the questions asked. Then take a minute to collect your thoughts so you can give a focused and detailed answer that shows your expertise and preparedness. Being prepared helps you to stay in control, and talk yourself into a job by providing confident, concise answers for sure success during an interview!

Today is the start of a new school year for my kids and probably most kids around the country. It is a time of excitement and can also be a little frightening too . This is a big year in particular for my youngest since she is starting High School. This means she’ll be in a new building with new teachers, new students, new lockers, new curriculum and new pressures.

To help her prepare for a successful first day and high school experience, we attended an open house last week which gave students a chance to find and practice opening their lockers. It also gave them time to walk around and get a better feel for the layout of the school.  During our visit like most of the kids, we completed a walk through, going from my daughter’s 1^st hour classroom to her 2^nd hour, and 3^rd hour and so on. This dry run helped her learn her route and offered a chance to meet her teachers and check out the classrooms.

The open house didn’t eliminate fears but it did put them into perspective and is one way to prepare for the big event and new changes to follow. Job seekers can benefit from preparing for upcoming interviews in the same manner.

If you have an interview coming up in an unfamiliar part of town or in a different city, take a drive to the company before the interview to confirm the directions and estimated time it will take to get to the location. While there notice the type of employees, their dress and mannerisms as they enter and exit. Do they seem to look forward to their day or do they have a look of dread as they come and go?

Prepare also by checking out the website and researching the company on the internet. What image are they trying to convey? How did the company do last year or the year before? How are they handling the current economy? What are others writing about them? Are there particular projects, issues or problems currently hindering the success of the company? It is worth your while to find out what you are getting into and make sure this is  someplace you’d like to work.

Search out present or past employees on the social and professional networking sites to see what their own employees are saying about the company. If possible introduce yourself and find out what their thoughts are and what the attitude or atmosphere is within the company. Does it fit with your personality and goals?

Planning and preparing before you go to the interview so you understand the scope, environment, and management style of the company is your best chance for a successful interview. Just like my daughter and other high school kids getting ready for their first day, your new world will consume you for the next several years, so make sure you are heading where you want to end up.

Shine On Job Seekers!

I’m helping out at a Career Fair tomorrow and want to welcome anyone within driving distance of Southeast Michigan to join me at the event. I’ll be there providing resume reviews, answering questions and strategizing with job seekers – if you attend please stop by and say Hi! The information is below, hope to see you there.

EmploymentGuide.com in cooperation with AARP and WiserWorker.com are sponsoring and participating in this event. AARP is offering Branding Workshops and more than 50 employers are expected to participate. Bring lots of resumes, professional attire and be ready to smile!

Wednesday, August 25^th

9:00 am to 1:30 pm

Southfield Civic “Center” Pavilion

26000 Evergreen Rd.

Southfield, MI 48076

Hope to see you there!

Recently I had a conversation with a job seeker which I have had similarly with many others in the past. The conversation begins with a recap of what actions they have taken in their job search and what their expectations are for working together. I often here something like, “I can handle the job search – I just need a resume to get me in the door, and I know I can talk my way into the job – I can talk my way into anything”. Have you ever said or heard or said this before?

As articulate and compelling as You might think your communication skills are, if you have nothing to say that interests the interviewer, you will not gain a job offer.

The key is to know what to say in the interview and once again, it comes down to knowing who you are interviewing with. For every interview or influential contact you schedule a meeting with, you should spend several hours researching and educating yourself on the company in question. Areas to become familiar with include the industry, current needs or issues of the company, biggest competition, new projects underway, future plans and problems the company is currently facing. Think ahead of 3 – 5 ways you can use  your skills, expertise, contacts, or experience to help in achieve current corporate goals or resolve existing problems.

Coming to the meeting prepared will allow you to fully engage in the conversation, where you can communicate your expertise and the value that you will bring to the company. Otherwise your conversation ends up sounding like a “me, me, me” story instead of a “here is how can I help you” conversation.

To be memorable you must have something worth saying and fitting for the position. If you go in blind with no preparation or understanding of what they are looking for you are selling you skills and yourself short. You might have exactly what they need but it is up to you to let them see how well suited you are for their job, their company and solving their problems.

Phone interviews have been quite a prevalent topic for my clients this week. I received calls sharing that one client had completed a phone interview with two other clients having scheduled phone interviews for next week. With so many in one week, I wonder if this may be a new norm for some companies.

When my clients called, they were thrilled at the opportunity but nervous of what to expect and anticipate. They had many questions about the differences to expect between an in person and phone interview. Here are a few things we discussed:

Preparation is crucial: make sure to take time to properly prepare for the phone interview. Prepare answers for commonly asked interview questions that offer insight to your experience using skills, reasoning and communication strengths to reach optimal results. Commit to practice reading your answers out loud to become comfortable with answering different types of questions so there are no surprises during the actual interview.

Have a quiet, undisturbed area set up for the interview. Whether in a bedroom, office, or even a vehicle; be sure to use a high quality phone. A land line is optimal if available. Also have your resume, cover letter and any other pertinent documents, water, paper and pens, and even a couple of 3×5 cards set up before the call begins.

During the Interview: standing can help to improve breathing when nervous. A smile will relax you and your voice. Try writing SMILE on one of the index cards and place it as a reminder in front of you. The cards are also a good place to write the interviewer and company names for a quick reference.

Because so much of the important, non-verbal communication is lost over the phone lines, it is imperative to use your words, breathing, sighs, laughter, tone of voice, speed of words and inflections to convey your knowledge, expertise, confidence and inviting personality.

A few things to keep in mind. Many interviewers are not comfortable with the interview process. If they sound nervous, build your rapport by helping to make them feel comfortable in their present interviewer role.

Keep in mind also, everyone speaks and thinks at their own pace. Try to match your speaking speed to the interviewer to help them feel comfortable with the communication exchange. Sometimes the interviewer will need to collect their thoughts, figure out their next question or want linger on something they just heard you say. So, if you hear a few seconds of silence – let it be.

Last Thoughts include keeping in mind that if you have been offered an interview, they are interested in you. They are ready to move forward in their search and want to be successful in finding the right person for the job. Help them by communicating your unique value and your ideal fit with a strong phone interview and a thoughtful thank you note.

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Meandering Work History

Each individual is different of course, but those with a history of job hopping might find resistance by hiring managers looking for candidates that will remain loyal to their company as the economy works to recover.

I recently encountered such a client who was concerned with his resume and interview options because of the wide range of jobs he has had over the past 15 years.  We discussed strategies and decided that it would be best if we identified the skills and requirements of his current job search and focused the resume on those criteria.

Passionate about the career and direction he has chosen, he wanted to do what ever he could to make sure this issue was addressed in the best way possible.

Five quick tips I offered include:

1. Determine the crucial transferable skills, experience, and requirements of the current career focus. Investigate what education, certification, skills, experience and other requirements are expected when pursuing the chosen position. Research targeted companies to uncover the culture, values and expectations of the company for further use in your resume. Check out the job descriptions on a few job boards to get the full understanding of what will be expected in that role.
2. Build your resume with the new career focus in mind. Determine which transferable skills and experiences to mine from each past position. Showcase these skills in the resume by knowing what the reader is looking for and boldly providing examples of the sought skills.
3. Show commonalities between jobs to increase the look of a strategically planned background. If you are seeking a position in an industry you have worked in before, make sure to show the total number of years in the industry to give your experience more credibility. Also, highlight the repeat use of transferable skills in your past positions such as customer service, IT, leadership, training, or management.
4. Prepare a few answers ahead of time for interview questions pertaining to your work history. First and foremost, always be honest. Be sure to communicate to the interviewer that the strength of the skills and achievements you developed has led you to your ability to succeed at the targeted position. Convey your passion, interest and excitement for a chance to work with their company or in the particular position.
5. Use those past positions to regain contacts, make new connections and build your network. A varied history can actually have an advantage over someone who has been in the same industry for 20+ years with like minded professionals. Use the diversity of your background to expand your networks and opportunities into areas that might have normally seemed too remote.

For my client and other job hoppers to succeed, use your vast experience to address the needs and expectations of the targeted position or company by building your resume to showcase your value toward those needs. What can you offer that will help them or fill a need? Promote that value and you will get noticed regardless of your job hopping past.

There seems to still be an on going battle over the cover letter relevance. The majority of resume writers I have talked with still believe the cover letter can hold a few unique nuggets  of value that you can use to persuade hiring managers and decision makers to take a second or first look at your resume. Most recruiters I have talked with feel the cover letter is not important to the decision making process – however recruiters only place 2-3% of new employees so fo r the ir select clients this may be the case.

The truth is that 60% of hiring professionals read cover letters.

Often the gatekeepers, HR, recruiters do not read cover letters but when it comes time to narrow the selection to start the interviewing process, the decision makers can use the cover letters to identify which candidates have more than the required skills, achievements, and experience. They can also see if you also have a passion, a resolution for a current corporate issue or a new idea that can be a determining factor in offering you an interview.

You really never know who is reading your cover letter and how it will be used. I tell my clients – for those that do read it, it’s a vital part of the interview decision process so we need to create a targeted and focused letter that will open doors and get your resume read. The cover letter allows candidates the opportunity to promote their unique value and another chance for reader to identify your strengths and fit for the company.

A few examples of value and fit would be to include that you have got a true passion for working with numbers or your father worked for IBM 30 years ago and you have always wanted to work there too. You can also walk them through a dynamite combination of say, international experience and accounting strengths if you were going to work for an international company and you would be doing accounting work for subsidiaries in other countries. Sometimes they don’t recognize the value so if you find some reason for a great fit, make sure to share it with the reader.

Don’t assume they’ll make the connection…

you know what happens if you assume something?

If you are sending the letter to a recruiter, find out what their priorities are and incorporate examples of the priorities in the letter. If it is for a decision maker really work to bring out your unique value and why you would be perfect for the job, their team and their company. If it is for a general online application and you don’t know the company, keep it short but focus the cover letter on the requirements given in the job description. Whoever it is that you are righting it for, meet their needs and show you can make a difference in their company.

It isn’t enough just to go after getting an interview. If you want a job offer you have to prepare for and research each company you are offered an interview with. You have obviously done some work while having your resume developed or writing it yourself. The research and preparation is a great start for your interview but it won’t put you ahead of the masses. Below are 5 secrets you need to know if you want to really catch the decision maker’s attention at your next interview.

Know the company you intend to interview with – Take time to thoroughly learn about the company or companies you will be interviewing with. The research should include reading their company website, searching (Googling) the company on the internet, finding potential contacts from their company on LinkedIn, and reading what the media and their competition has to say as well. You will impress the interviewers if you are comfortable and confident talking with them about the company.

Know how you can help them – If you want to capture the attention of the interviewer, try finding out what the biggest problems the company or department are currently facing and find ways you can help.

Strategies to help the company may include a developing a business or project plan, locating contacts for needed resources or having the skills or experience needed to resolve a specific problem. Figure out your plan before the interview and then WoW them with your preparation. Even if they don’t use your plan, your determination and critical thinking is sure to impress them.

Know the culture of the company – While you are busy researching each company you are considering interviewing with, don’t forget to study their individual corporate culture. It is important, sometimes more than your related skill or experience, that you fit in with the culture, philosophy and values of the company. Your resume will let them know your skills, but the interview will secure your fit. Save you and the company time and resources by getting a feel for the company before you participate in an interview.

Know your answers to questions most likely asked – Make sure to spend time preparing for those typical and not so typical behavioral/situation questions that will be asked at the interview, because they will be asked. Keep the answers focused on the good of the company, tying your values in with theirs, while still being truthful.

It often helps to write out your answers on paper so you can be sure to include all the right information for each question. Then, practice saying your answers several times until they feel natural to say.

Know your resume! – Don’t forget to know your resume. Right now it sometimes takes a few months before you are offered an interview.  Most of the time the hiring manager will use your resume as an outline to follow for the interview. Whether you have written it yourself or had someone write it; reread your resume several times to refresh your memory. You do not want to be blind-sided by a quote from your resume that you don’t recall and can’t respond to. Know your resume!

Just as in any debate, meeting, presentation or interview, in order to be successful and sound polished you must prepare. The company you are interviewing with have spent a good deal of time identifying the skills, experience and type of person they want working with them. It is your responsibility to yourself and you next employer to do the same. The results will be a more effective and responsive interview and will help you stand out as one sharp candidate. So, give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!