Monday, September 12, 2011
radio show-Do you believe our President?
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/debdave/2011/09/12/interviews--how-to-close-that-deal
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
HOW TO SURVIVE A PHONE INTERVIEW
HOW TO SURVIVE A PHONE INTERVIEW
AKA:
Just because you are home, doesn’t mean you should wear sweat pants!
You might think that being at home for an interview means a more laid back setting. But the key to a successful phone interview is being as attentive as if you are sitting in the Hiring Manager’s office.
I once conducted a phone interview where I repeated the question several times, because the applicant had Oprah on and wasn’t fully listening (to me, or Oprah).
Below, are 11 tips to ACE your phone interview
1. Shut your email, unplug your ears from the Ipod, close the magazines and books and don’t forget to turn off the TV. I will know if it’s on.
2. Answer the phone professionally- Good Morning, this is Deborah, is more professional than “hey what’s up”.
3. Smile while you speak. Smiling shows up in your voice.
4. “Dress Up” for the interview, if you look good, you sound good.
5. Try standing. This helps bring the energy UP.
6. Don’t put your interviewer on hold to answer an incoming call.
7. Yuck, don’t cough or sneeze into the phone.
8. Be prepared. Have your resume, job description, pens and calendar on your desk.
9. Avoid taking the call from a cell phone unless you're absolutely certain that your connection is good and that you won't get disconnected.
10. Always send a follow up Thank You note.
11. Be personable. A warm voice and a sense of humor will go a long way toward establishing a friendly rapport with interviewers.
You only have one time to make a first impression.
Like this? let me know. Deborah@getthatjobTODAY.com
You might think that being at home for an interview means a more laid back setting. But the key to a successful phone interview is being as attentive as if you are sitting in the Hiring Manager’s office.
I once conducted a phone interview where I repeated the question several times, because the applicant had Oprah on and wasn’t fully listening (to me, or Oprah).
Below, are 11 tips to ACE your phone interview
1. Shut your email, unplug your ears from the Ipod, close the magazines and books and don’t forget to turn off the TV. I will know if it’s on.
2. Answer the phone professionally- Good Morning, this is Deborah, is more professional than “hey what’s up”.
3. Smile while you speak. Smiling shows up in your voice.
4. “Dress Up” for the interview, if you look good, you sound good.
5. Try standing. This helps bring the energy UP.
6. Don’t put your interviewer on hold to answer an incoming call.
7. Yuck, don’t cough or sneeze into the phone.
8. Be prepared. Have your resume, job description, pens and calendar on your desk.
9. Avoid taking the call from a cell phone unless you're absolutely certain that your connection is good and that you won't get disconnected.
10. Always send a follow up Thank You note.
11. Be personable. A warm voice and a sense of humor will go a long way toward establishing a friendly rapport with interviewers.
You only have one time to make a first impression.
Like this? let me know. Deborah@getthatjobTODAY.com
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Sorry, you are soo OVERQUALIFIED!
Don’t you get so frustrated by this response? According to Phil Rosenberg-Something isn’t being communicated, either the employer doesn’t understand that you really want to take a step down (for some good reasons), or because you don’t believe that “overqualified” is the real reason you’ve been turned down.
Employers are partially to blame for this, using overqualified in the same way that we will say “it’s not you, it’s me”, using passive-aggressive communication to avoid an uncomfortable situation but masking the true reasons.
If you’re sick of hearing this, I like some of the tactics that Robin Ryan suggests in this article, published a in TheLadders:
“How To Handle ‘You’re Overqualified’ In Interviews
What should you do if your qualifications outstrip the job?
By Robin Ryan
It seems I continually hear this complaint,’They aren’t hiring me because I’m overqualified.’ One man e-mailed me about this problem:
‘I have a lot of incredible extracurricular professional activities, publishing expertise, project management experience, board leadership skills, etc. I have an MBA, and am a CPA. All of this info is on my resume because it sets me apart. However, I am concerned that people are viewing me as overqualified for lower-level jobs and eliminating me. Yet, the jobs I am truly qualified for are fairly high up and there are only a handful of openings. Help!’
So what should you do if you’re credentialed with good experience and advanced education, are looking to become re-employed and are even willing to take a lower-level position? Here are a few tips:
Don’t Be Tempted to ‘Dumb Down!’
This strategy moves your career backward. You typically end up frustrated, not hired or worse — you find a new job you can’t wait to move out of. Most employers today actually want you working at your highest ability level since productivity is key to everyone’s success. They also want to retain you past the many months it takes to train you for the job, so you can begin to make a contribution to the company.
Do Some Soul Searching and Savvy Preparation.
Acknowledge that employers are reluctant to hire a person who is overqualified because they think the person is unlikely to be happy, won’t stay long, might want the interviewer’s job or may expect fast promotion. Remember that you can be threatening to the interviewer, especially if you are truly suited for the interviewer’s job! He may think you aren’t seriously interested in doing the job for which you’re being hired — nor do employers want someone who’s burned out or sees the job as an easy paycheck.
Examine why you want the position. ‘I need a job!’ is not a response that will endear you to him. You must use your communication skills to convince him why a demotion is a good option. You must create a reasonable explanation. Try this:
‘My current position as Regional Sales Manager requires me to cover 14 states, and the job had grown into 15 nights of travel per month. This has become an increasingly difficult sacrifice for my family. I have decided to seek a major accounts-rep position that allows me to focus on my strengths — selling, sustaining top-notch client relationships and up-selling — but also allows me to go home most evenings. This is not an option at my current job. It requires a lot of out-of-town travel to do the job, which I am no longer willing to do. I believe my extensive marketing and sales skills would greatly benefit your organization in a positive way. I see this as a win/win situation for both of us.’
Don’t Show Desperation.
You may feel it, but it will work against your getting hired if you show how frantic you are to get a job. Too often an executive says, ‘I’ll start at any job just to get my foot in the door.’ That won’t work — it’s an outdated strategy. Being willing to take any job often makes the interviewer disqualify you. She needs a competent person to perform the specific job she’s hiring for.
So, you must show not only that you can do it but also that you want to do it. You can offer some advantages, gained from your experience, such as: ‘My ability to solve problems and train others would be a major plus in the position.’ Many employers are slow to hire, yet pay well when they select someone for the position, so patience is essential.
Look Harder for Positions for Which You Are Qualified.
Employers want a good fit and an individual who delivers results. Customize every cover letter you write and tweak your resume to match the opportunity. Be sure to address the major needs required and demonstrate results you’ve achieved in line with the level requested. A former CEO at a smaller company might only be a midlevel executive at a larger organization, so be clear as to how you’re leveraging past experience and leadership to help a potential employer excel.
Networking Is Key to Hearing About and Landing a New Job.
Ask colleagues, friends, former employees, college alumni, and other contacts for referrals to new people who can help you uncover unadvertised positions. An introduction to a senior executive can open new doors and even create a job when no advertised one was available. Department of Labor statistics reveal that 63 percent of all jobs in 2010 were found through contacts, so network, network, NETWORK!
Don’t you get so frustrated by this response? According to Phil Rosenberg-Something isn’t being communicated, either the employer doesn’t understand that you really want to take a step down (for some good reasons), or because you don’t believe that “overqualified” is the real reason you’ve been turned down.
Employers are partially to blame for this, using overqualified in the same way that we will say “it’s not you, it’s me”, using passive-aggressive communication to avoid an uncomfortable situation but masking the true reasons.
If you’re sick of hearing this, I like some of the tactics that Robin Ryan suggests in this article, published a in TheLadders:
“How To Handle ‘You’re Overqualified’ In Interviews
What should you do if your qualifications outstrip the job?
By Robin Ryan
It seems I continually hear this complaint,’They aren’t hiring me because I’m overqualified.’ One man e-mailed me about this problem:
‘I have a lot of incredible extracurricular professional activities, publishing expertise, project management experience, board leadership skills, etc. I have an MBA, and am a CPA. All of this info is on my resume because it sets me apart. However, I am concerned that people are viewing me as overqualified for lower-level jobs and eliminating me. Yet, the jobs I am truly qualified for are fairly high up and there are only a handful of openings. Help!’
So what should you do if you’re credentialed with good experience and advanced education, are looking to become re-employed and are even willing to take a lower-level position? Here are a few tips:
Don’t Be Tempted to ‘Dumb Down!’
This strategy moves your career backward. You typically end up frustrated, not hired or worse — you find a new job you can’t wait to move out of. Most employers today actually want you working at your highest ability level since productivity is key to everyone’s success. They also want to retain you past the many months it takes to train you for the job, so you can begin to make a contribution to the company.
Do Some Soul Searching and Savvy Preparation.
Acknowledge that employers are reluctant to hire a person who is overqualified because they think the person is unlikely to be happy, won’t stay long, might want the interviewer’s job or may expect fast promotion. Remember that you can be threatening to the interviewer, especially if you are truly suited for the interviewer’s job! He may think you aren’t seriously interested in doing the job for which you’re being hired — nor do employers want someone who’s burned out or sees the job as an easy paycheck.
Examine why you want the position. ‘I need a job!’ is not a response that will endear you to him. You must use your communication skills to convince him why a demotion is a good option. You must create a reasonable explanation. Try this:
‘My current position as Regional Sales Manager requires me to cover 14 states, and the job had grown into 15 nights of travel per month. This has become an increasingly difficult sacrifice for my family. I have decided to seek a major accounts-rep position that allows me to focus on my strengths — selling, sustaining top-notch client relationships and up-selling — but also allows me to go home most evenings. This is not an option at my current job. It requires a lot of out-of-town travel to do the job, which I am no longer willing to do. I believe my extensive marketing and sales skills would greatly benefit your organization in a positive way. I see this as a win/win situation for both of us.’
Don’t Show Desperation.
You may feel it, but it will work against your getting hired if you show how frantic you are to get a job. Too often an executive says, ‘I’ll start at any job just to get my foot in the door.’ That won’t work — it’s an outdated strategy. Being willing to take any job often makes the interviewer disqualify you. She needs a competent person to perform the specific job she’s hiring for.
So, you must show not only that you can do it but also that you want to do it. You can offer some advantages, gained from your experience, such as: ‘My ability to solve problems and train others would be a major plus in the position.’ Many employers are slow to hire, yet pay well when they select someone for the position, so patience is essential.
Look Harder for Positions for Which You Are Qualified.
Employers want a good fit and an individual who delivers results. Customize every cover letter you write and tweak your resume to match the opportunity. Be sure to address the major needs required and demonstrate results you’ve achieved in line with the level requested. A former CEO at a smaller company might only be a midlevel executive at a larger organization, so be clear as to how you’re leveraging past experience and leadership to help a potential employer excel.
Networking Is Key to Hearing About and Landing a New Job.
Ask colleagues, friends, former employees, college alumni, and other contacts for referrals to new people who can help you uncover unadvertised positions. An introduction to a senior executive can open new doors and even create a job when no advertised one was available. Department of Labor statistics reveal that 63 percent of all jobs in 2010 were found through contacts, so network, network, NETWORK!
Like this article? email me at: deborah@getthatjobtoday.com and visit my website for more up to the moment employment tips.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A little Humor....
A little humor….
Below are the top 10 of the best (really worst) that job candidates have done and said on an interview.
YES! This really has happened.
1. Stretched out on the floor in the reception area to fill out the job application.
2. Announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat an egg salad sandwich
3. Asked for the restroom key in the middle of the interview, and left the building
4. Handed me a blank application and told me it was written in invisible ink
5. Suggested we become facebook friends because she had a bet with her sister that she could collect more names
6. Asked if I wanted to buy a fake bag
7. Took out a digital camera and asked if he could run video of me interviewing him
8. Asked if he got the job, could he still smoke pot on his lunch hour
9. An applicant came in wearing only the right shoe and said he wanted to start on the right foot.
10. Asked for a copy of my resume to see if I was qualified to review hers
Below are the top 10 of the best (really worst) that job candidates have done and said on an interview.
YES! This really has happened.
1. Stretched out on the floor in the reception area to fill out the job application.
2. Announced she hadn't had lunch and proceeded to eat an egg salad sandwich
3. Asked for the restroom key in the middle of the interview, and left the building
4. Handed me a blank application and told me it was written in invisible ink
5. Suggested we become facebook friends because she had a bet with her sister that she could collect more names
6. Asked if I wanted to buy a fake bag
7. Took out a digital camera and asked if he could run video of me interviewing him
8. Asked if he got the job, could he still smoke pot on his lunch hour
9. An applicant came in wearing only the right shoe and said he wanted to start on the right foot.
10. Asked for a copy of my resume to see if I was qualified to review hers
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
SELL THAT SIZZLE
STILL HAVE THAT “OBJECTIVE” ON YOUR RESUME?
Read below and see WHY they no longer work and what you can do TODAY that will deliver a bigger bang.
Did you know that the average time it takes a hiring manager or recruiter to shake down, or hit the delete button on your resume is about 15 seconds? So don’t waste 5 precious seconds on a statement that is too cookie-cutter and considered out of date.
Objectives statements revolve around “what the applicant wants” (it’s all about me), vs. focusing on “What the employer wants”(it’s all about them). Objectives fail to provide enough value and insight into who you are and what you will offer a future employer.
Today’s hiring managers want job-seekers that demonstrate their worth by showing how they have solved similar challenges and achieved goals that are aligned to the current issues the manager is confronting today.
In this extremely competitive job market, your goal is to capture the hiring manager’s attention by differentiating yourself from the pack.
SELL YOUR SIZZLE
Branding statements are today’s equivalent of resume objectives. They pitch your most promising strategy. A one line specific declaration that describes the job you want and one or two proficiencies that will capture the interest of the hiring manager.
The goal of every resume is to grab the attention of the employer, prompting them to schedule the interview. Candidates must create a resume that shows their uniqueness from every other job seeker on the market.
Creating this type of statement brings both the promise of YOUR value, and an assurance that YOU are the more qualified candidate. YOU have solved similar problems with past employers.
Remember, Hiring Managers have two sub-conscious questions when evaluating a resume. Is this person going to solve my problem, and does this person understand my problem?
SHOW ‘EM YOU CAN DO BOTH
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