LinkedIn Is the Key to Your Next Job

If you’re in transition and looking for a job or you contemplate changing jobs, there’s nothing more powerful than learning how to be efficient at using the power of LinkedIn. Being listed on LinkedIn is a must. A study by Microsoft revealed that 70 percent of employers have rejected job candidates because of information they found on those candidates online. Yet the same study suggests that 85 percent of employers say a positive online reputation influences their decision. Those are pretty convincing numbers.

Here are some facts:

• Recruiters and employers prefer dealing with applicants they can check out and trust.
• People spend more time on social media than on e-mail. LinkedIn is in the social media for business.
• The Internet can make or break your image.

The power of LinkedIn lies in the fact that you can connect with people who influence decision making regarding whom to hire. In turn, you, too, can research the company you’re targeting, the hiring manager there, and also the culture of the company. Sixty percent of the hiring decision is based on the candidate’s fit into the company’s culture.

By joining professional and alumni groups on LinkedIn, you can participate in online discussions as well as answer questions, thus becoming prominent—and even, possibly, viewed as an expert. Companies love hiring experts! Additionally, recruiters scour professional groups in search of experts. You should join active groups to become visible online.

When you’re in transition, it’s important to know the right people but also important that they know you and that they get reminded of what you’re looking for. Therefore, it’s advisable to invite people to connect with you on LinkedIn. When you send an invitation, personalize your message; don’t just use the default LinkedIn invitation. Address the person by name, include a reminder about the commonality between you or mention how you came across the person’s name, state your intent, and then ask whether the person would be willing to connect with you.

When looking for opportunities, go to the home page, and on the upper right-hand corner, click on the Advanced option. Then type in a keyword and customize the screen to your circumstances. From that list, select and invite the people you want to connect with.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Finding a Job Is a Nonsport Competition

In principle, getting hired is a simple two-step process: creating an attractive enough resume to be invited for a job interview and then acing it. In practice, getting hired is significantly more difficult because many people are competing for the same single job opening.

Relative to the vast number of available résumés, only a minuscule fraction of them are good enough to compel the reader to further explore the individual’s candidacy. And then, once in the race, the candidate faces another competition by needing to outshine the others who interview for the same job. There are two filters to penetrate, and this is where the challenge comes in.

Very few people can write their own résumé at a level that is convincing enough to propel it to the second step, which is the job interview. The solution here is to identify an excellent professional résumé writer. Writing a results-producing résumé is not a hobby; it’s a profession that requires training, experience, various certifications, and, most important, a knack or aptitude for it. Not all certified résumé writers are good at it despite the fact that they practice. Such it is in all professions of course. So it’s up to you to find one who has a good reputation. Ask for the opinions of friends and other associates who’ve used them, and check them out on LinkedIn. Good résumé writers are busy and not cheap. You can expect to pay from $200 to $800 depending on the complexity, but most charge $400 to $500.

And then comes the crucial step: impressing the interviewer enough not only to cause him to want to hire you but also to want to sell you to his boss, his human resources contact person, and your future peers. To achieve the “sale,” you have to have not only the right set of accomplishments but also the right communication skills, personal presence, aura, and personality. Learning how to convey those right elements and to keep practicing them may land you the job.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Why Employers Look for Fit

Your first goal when looking for a job is to get an interview. You offer your candidacy by submitting your résumé. The challenge is that you’re in competition with a large number of very qualified applicants. If you’re lucky, your résumé gets you an interview. The decision to invite you for this coveted meeting was based on the appearance of your résumé, its overall content, the skills it reflects you possess, and, mainly, the accomplishments you highlighted via a format of bulleted lists. But now the second competition starts. It consists in you versus the other candidates vying for the same job.

Look at the situation from the hiring manager’s vantage point: the manager needs to make a selection. Say there are five very qualified and handpicked applicants with great skills and with lists of appropriate accomplishments. So, what’s going to be the differentiator? The answer is the fit. The hiring manager who is the ultimate decision maker has a series of pertinent questions and is answering them subjectively. Some of those questions might be:

• What do we have in common?
  -- It is known that people like to hire others like themselves.
• Are we sharing the same values?
  -- For example, what’s your attitude toward customer service? Are you innovative when solving problems? Is cost cutting an important goal of yours?
• What is your work style?
  -- For example, are you in the habit of working long hours? Do you keep an open-door policy? Are you working well as part of a team? Are you competitive?
• What image did you leave behind after the interview?
  -- Did you carry yourself well during the interview? Were you dressed properly? Did you bathe yourself in perfume? What was your accent like? your speech pattern? your tone of voice? your speech volume? What about your walking pace? your posture? your air of confidence--or lack thereof?
• What kind of personality do you have?
  -- Are you confident? Would you fit in well with company team members? Would you get along?
• Can we afford you?
  -- Are your salary expectations aligned with the company’s budget for this position? Are you flexible about compensation? Can we make a deal that both parties will feel good about?

As you can see, the fit component of the hiring decision-making process is not only complex and driven by the psychological makeup of the hiring manager but also biased and subjective.

Good luck in your maneuvering through this maze. The best advice for winning the hiring manager over is to get input from a professional counselor who can offer you unbiased information based on factual knowledge and years of experience.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

2010-11-19 If You Like Surprises, Google Yourself

It’s unfortunate that most people in transition don’t understand the importance of their cyberspace profiles, and they therefore underestimate them. The following “From Tweet to Hired” quote puts the issue into perspective: “According to a recent CareerBuilder study, 43% of employers and 83% of executive recruiters admit to searching candidates online before making a hiring decision. Employers often turn down candidates based on negative content, and they solidify their decisions to hire based on positive content.” The October 2010 issue of Inc. magazine says, “Job seekers are especially at risk: Almost 80 percent of recruiters surveyed in a recent Microsoft study checked out applicants online, and 70 percent of them eliminated candidates based on what they found.”

Several companies--such as ReputationDefender, Naymz, and Brand-Yourself--specialize in helping people protect their reputations. For a fee, such a company provides a customer with a report showing every Web reference found for that customer. Knowing that potential employers and recruiters can find all sorts of information about you in virtual space can be helpful, although in some situations, it’s almost impossible to change or correct what’s out there, and in others there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. In my own case, for example, someone has exactly the same name as mine except that he’s a professional photographer specializing in nearly nude photography.

While LinkedIn is a more business-oriented social media site, Facebook is more inclined to attract younger people, who at their age do not understand how poor judgment in adolescence can irreparably damage their image for years and years to come. Those youngsters consider it cool and popular to post pictures showing themselves socializing with friends--sometimes inappropriately--and illegally drinking alcohol. Some people feel compelled to expose their unique personalities, but the Internet does not allow separation of professional image and business from one’s particular hobby. Such exposure could be very detrimental down the road. Younger people should be cautioned by parents and teachers about the potential damage. Mature people should know better; otherwise, they have to live with the consequences.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Considerations before Accepting That Coveted New Job

The job market seems much better lately, and more and more offers are being extended to applicants. Some move into the new positions from other jobs, and others from being in transition. In both cases, those job seekers miss out if they don’t take a holistic approach to specific evaluation of the new opportunity.

Often, the excitement associated with receiving the offer of a new job and accepting it, plus the flattery expressed by that job offer, may lead to a too-quick decision. It’s advisable to first do some meticulous due diligence in order to avoid a possibly costly mistake, because numerous questions need clear answers before you become able to make a final decision. Here are a few. How important to you are the content and the level of responsibility in the new job? Does the new job fit your personality? Does your new boss’s management style align with yours? Are there future opportunities for promotion? Will the new job satisfy your work/life balance? Are the commuting time and distance acceptable? Is the amount of business travel expected in the new job acceptable? And finally, is the compensation--in the form of salary and bonuses--acceptable? How about employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans? This may not be a complete list, but it’s a good beginning.

People make life decisions based on their logic and their emotions. The outcomes are typically an aggregate of the two. Someone who’s been in transition for a while is more prone to make emotional decisions, and yet accepting a new job should be judged on the job’s merit and on logical reasoning. In such a situation as the acceptance of a job offer, it’s sometimes helpful to discuss the issue with a friend or, better yet, with a professional such as a career coach who deals with such matters frequently. The following might be a rhetorical question, but if you had a serious medical condition, would you seek a consultation with a friend or with a physician?

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

How to Adapt to Being in Transition

I travel abroad on a regular basis, and invariably, the sensation during the first few days is the same: I feel a shock, a bit of confusion, a mild sense of insecurity, and a continuous mind-chatter that question everything. It’s an uncomfortable condition that, given a few days, dissipates, and then things get back to normal.

 

People who become in transition report very similar sensations till the brain accepts the new circumstance. For some it takes longer, while others recover rather quickly. Some become hugely energized by their new condition, while others remain in confusion for a while, exhibiting lethargy that at times borders on symptoms of depression. If a person had a tendency toward depression, the in-transition situation certainly could invoke such an illness.

 

The key to adapting quickly to the new reality and actually benefiting from the opportunity is simple. It’s a two-step approach: have a plan and don’t let emotions to derail you. Sounds easy, right? Yet very few can follow it. First, the plan has to be a dynamic one—namely, to keep learning what works for others in transition by networking with them and making sensible changes to the plan as appropriate. This doesn’t mean revamping it, or making changes 180 degrees from the original one, or restarting it over and over again. And second, don’t let emotions interfere, causing disruptive turmoil in your mind and upsetting you.

 

I’m a career coach and am in touch with people in transition every single day. Being in transition is a true opportunity to make significant life changes. Many people do and come out of it amazingly successful. I’ve seen people who are bordering on desperation. Given, unfortunately, a period of turmoil, they were able to transform into a new identity and a new profession and to excel. In my own case, I too went through a radical professional change, and there is no one happier with it than I am. Yes, it is possible. I am a living testimony to that.

 

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Get a Job

Don’t misunderstand the title of this blog. It’s not about sexual preference. It’s about networking. Every morning, when I take my walk, I observe groups of teenagers waiting at street corners for their school buses. Two things are common to these groups. The kids are not talking to each other, and the majority of them have their ears plugged with MP3 players. They choose to live in total isolation despite the fact that these are the same kids who mingle with each other every day.

Now, why is this? Because in the American culture—in contrast with other cultures—one is not to approach another person until the two have been introduced to each other by a third party. This cultural habit is practiced by adults, and therefore their kids perpetuate it. In many cases, even after being introduced to someone, the kids lack the confidence or skills to communicate, connect, and possibly be of mutual benefit. Plainly put, to network with each other.

For people in transition, such behavior amounts to a tactical hindrance to their advancement toward getting a job. It’s commonly known that 60 to 80 percent of job seekers get their next jobs via networking. However, if lack of communication is practiced from childhood and if communications skills never get developed or encouraged to improve on later on in life—especially in times of need such as being in transition and letting the world know about your availability—that’s of course a major obstacle.

More and more people nowadays are letting me know they have landed. This is a very encouraging sign, indicating that companies have started hiring again. I always ask what led to the job offer, and invariably, the answer proves two things: first, that the lead came through networking, and second, that the person had prepared extensively for the interview. After all, winning in a tough competition takes not only skills but lots of practice. Have you ever thought how many hours an Olympian practices before the competition?

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Feeling Good Is a Relative State of Mind

I don’t pay too much attention to local news via a newspaper or television, but I constantly listen to NPR and the BBC and read The Economist and The Week. What these media sources have in common is that they report on international issues. My focus is usually on the Big Picture and not so much on the details--and especially not on local details. I’m bored with reading about changes in local traffic patterns and about local fires, burglaries, rapes, murders, traffic accidents, and the like. Typically, such news is negative and depressing. Who needs it, yet international news--while it, too, has depressing elements such as news of natural disasters and famines--for me it also provides a measure of comparison.

In my capacity as a career coach, I’m one-on-one with people who are not in their best dispositions. Or I’m with groups in transition that I support, and there too I see at times elements of negativity. However, the Big Picture view gives me--and, I hope, others as well--a way of looking at things with a sense of fairness and objectivity. Let’s face it: in America in general we simply don’t have it as bad as those experiencing, say, famine in Africa or the recent earthquake in Haiti, to name just two things. I fully understand that for those who are unemployed, the rate of unemployment that the news reports is at 10 percent is, rather, 100 percent for them. But here again, the Big Picture is that this period of economic downturn shall pass too and is only a bump in the road. Good days are ahead of us, but unfortunately, those without work and income must face the now issues and the local issues and not the global issues.

I cannot forget a particular time of my own that I was in transition. I used to go to job search networking meetings, and that made me feel better because often, I met there people who had it much worse than I did. Perhaps that’s an unfair comparison, but it was the truth. If people in transition can view their situations as temporary and make themselves able to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, their moods and dispositions would change and improve instantly. Their energy would return. and a positive upward spiral would propel them into their next job. Amen.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

2010-8-29 Beware of Career Marketing Firms

Last week I received a request from a family member of mine in transition. He was asking me to evaluate a proposal he had received from a career marketing firm. He wanted my opinion because I’m a career coach--and because I myself had once been victimized by a similar firm.

His proposal cover letter opened with an aggressive tone heralding the fact that the firm was working with executives who were late of prestigious organizations, members of academia, representatives of nonprofits, and an assortment of clients ranging from younger people just out of college to mature ones with occupations in every industry and covering every income range. Basically--but without saying so--the firm said it caters to everyone who has money to pay!

The next FIVE pages outlined the firm’s services in a very attractive way for someone in transition. And we all know that when someone is, for instance, desperately hungry, anything that looks like food seems scrumptious and delicious. The firm stipulated its fee--which is, typically, 5 percent of the client’s highest achieved income (calculate how much that would be for you!). Then there were supplementary services--provided at an additional $500 for each one. In order to activate the agreement, it needed to be signed and accompanied by a deposit. If the client were not satisfied with the program within two weeks, said the agreement, the company would rework the material. At this point, though, your money is gone forever.

 

The firm listed offices in various cities nationwide, so I attempted to research the company a bit further. My research led me to a résumé-writing service. Next, I Googled the company name--and searched on other search engines as well--to try to learn something about the proposal/agreement signer with the title of managing director. I would have expected that a person with such a heavy responsibility (after all, the company claims to have offices in more than half a dozen cities) would have at least a presence in cyberspace as well. But no, even LinkedIn did not reveal the signer.

There have been in the past, and there still exist today of course, many similar career marketing firms. I’ve learned of them either through my circle of acquaintances or because they gained their fame via the media’s reporting that they got sued and soon thereafter closed their doors. Of course, unfortunately, those who’d paid for such services were left high and dry.

As a professional career coach, I say unequivocally that everyone in transition should get with their job search.  It’s up to the job seeker to solicit that help by asking others for their opinions. Job search networking groups such as those listed at www.landingexpert.com can provide information, as can an online search for individualized coaching services via LinkedIn or Google. Typically, such individualized career coaching services are your best bets because they’re more individualized and because the fees come to 50 to 75 percent less than those charged by the career marketing firms I’ve described here.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

For Those in Transition, Not Knowing Hurts the Most

As a career coach who sees people in transition every day, I’ve concluded that the single biggest obstacle for people in transition is not knowing what they don’t know regarding what it takes to win that fierce competition for getting a decent job.

I don’t intend to blame anyone; I’m merely pointing out the fact. When people become part of the in-transition crowd, they also become numb and find themselves in a state of disbelief. Given some time, reality sets in and they know that family priorities and financial obligations need to be met, so they step out from their shells and attempt to become productive.

They remember from the previous job search the steps needed to be taken to get a job offer. Regrettably, though, the rules of the game have changed--and so drastically that the old rules are no longer valid in any sense. For instance, technology has advanced to the point that the job search game is almost totally dependent on it. Plus, résumés are constructed differently from the way they used to be. They need to be tailored to the specific job the person is applying for.

LinkedIn is the most common electronic tool used by recruiters. A poor image on LinkedIn kicks a candidate out of the competition. And there’s where the problem starts. As I said at the beginning, job seekers don’t know what they don’t know, and so it follows that they don’t know how to improve their condition. What is evident is that it seems to take forever to get an interview--if at all. And then the competition among interviewees is fierce. Only one person of very many is offered the job; the rest feel like losers, and typically, they’re not told why they didn’t get an offer.

So, what’s the solution? My advice is to seek help. There are many job search networking groups that hold meetings where speakers are brought in to provide information pertinent to job search. In addition, job seekers who attend such meetings exchange information with each other, and there often is support by career coaches and counselors. Approach a career coach at a networking meeting to learn what he or she can do for you. You’ll probably get answers to questions you didn’t even know to ask! A current--and comprehensive--list of such groups within a 100-mile radius of New York can be downloaded from Web site www.landingexpert.com via the Networking tab.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Do You Have That Spark in Your Eyes?

Itzhak Perlman was recently interviewed by Charlie Rose, who asked Perlman what he looks for when selecting those few special Juilliard School students he wishes to work with. Years before, he himself was a student at Juilliard. “Is it skills or talent?” Rose asked. Perlman’s answer was that talent is not easily defined and that certainly most of Juilliard’s students are very talented to begin with. But Perlman is looking for that spark in their eyes and a special facial expression. So it seems that the differentiator when it comes to selecting students is something beyond skills and talent.

That point is also evident in terms of a job interview. Of course interviewers’ questions can be technical ones requiring skill-based answers or they may be behavioral based and looking for attitude, demeanor, and the like. But interpretation of answers is also heavily psychologically based—meaning, based on what the interviewer sees: Does the candidate have that spark in the eyes when talking about great professional accomplishments? Is there congruity between the spoken words and the body language?

A job interview is a stressful test. I don’t think anyone would deny that. The candidate going through this stressful event has to not only focus on the spoken words but also make sure to literally act out the role as interviewee. And there’s more to being an actor than just having acting skills. One has to have the talent and the ability to control and demonstrate genuine enthusiasm. Like an actor’s role, the interviewee’s role can be learned too with the proper guidance. I practice this every day.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

How to Improve Your Interviewing Skills

An interview is a business transaction wherein the objective of the hiring manager (the person who has the authority to hire) is to make a selection among job candidates called in for interviews. A candidate has two challenges: first, to convince the hiring manager that he is the ideal candidate for the position, and second, to outshine the others (i.e., the competition for the job). Following are several suggestions.

First, prepare for the interview by working with a seasoned career coach. A career coach can practice with you certain mock-interviewing techniques, thereby helping you to not only answer difficult interview questions but also recognize traps and avoid saying the wrong things. As a career coach, I need no less than five hours to get someone ready for the big test. If the result is to get the job, then the fee paid for such a service is merely a drop in the bucket.

Second, prepare your SARBs: situation/action/result/benefit. These are short vignettes about your experience, describing for the interviewer how you solved problems on the job and the results and benefits to employers. They are the tools you bring with you to the interview. If presented well, the examples will convince the hiring manager you’re the right person for the job.

Third, research the company. Spend some time in the public library investigating as much as you can about the company. You cannot overdo this aspect of the job search, and neither should you underestimate the importance of showing the interviewer you understand--on either a macro- or microlevel--the issues the company faces.

Fourth, use your personal connections via LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to discover as much information as you can about the people you’re going to interview with. While doing that, attempt to find something in common with them. This is very important, because people are known to hire candidates with whom they can build a relationship even during the interview process.

And fifth and last but not less important, make sure the position you’re interviewing for aligns with your own needs and desires. Consider your skills and attributes and traits. Evaluate the organization’s work environment, the commute, the compensation, and the benefits. Pay attention to your gut feeling. If it feels good, make sure you clearly show your enthusiasm. This is what the hiring manager wants to “buy.”

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

The Secret behind Reference Checks

Reference checking is not standard. Smaller companies typically have neither the manpower nor the funds to do thorough reference checks, which could cost hundreds of dollars. Conversely, larger companies do reference checks but at varying levels of thoroughness. Different from the typical applicant’s concerns--which have to do with performance--companies typically do background checks for security and legal liability reasons.

A comprehensive preemployment check consists of an employer’s examination of court records, motor vehicle reports, credit reports, identity records, possible aliases, and several other kinds of checking. My informal research revealed that a significant number of applicants have motor vehicle violations, bad credit, and collection agency records. In addition, just shy of one-third of applicants have discrepancies in their résumés in terms of past employment; some have criminal records; some inaccurately report level of education; and some test positive for use of illegal drugs. All of those findings warrant companies’ doing such checking prior to employment.

However, the applicant’s concern stems not so much from the logical or legal angle as much as it does from the emotional angle. The question that torments most people in transition is, What will my previous boss or my previous company’s human resources department reveal about me and my past performance? From a practical aspect, references are being performed via two methods. The formal one is done by the human resources department, and its value is limited because it is legally restricted to answering only basic questions related to title, dates or duration of employment, and perhaps whether the company would rehire or not. However, an informal reference check is done through personal contacts in the industry. This is the one that’s done on the Q.T. and cannot be controlled or restricted. Here one’s reputation in the industry is what is important. Building such a reputation is a slow, deliberate, and often challenging process. Ruining it can be fast--and difficult to recover. This is the one that comes with consequences and pain.

Every job applicant should have a list of at least three references. Employers are looking for past supervisors, possibly at various employers. What’s most important is that you ask permission before putting a name on your reference list. Plus, as your job search progresses, keep your references abreast of developments. Many people fail to stay in communication with their references, with the result that when a contact is made, they may be caught surprised and unprepared.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Volunteering While in Transition Has Many Hidden Advantages

While in transition, you’re after a paid job, not working for free. It’s natural to feel that way, but in fact volunteering could be the thing that gets you your next position. It’s happened often to job seekers. Volunteering has many rewarding facets, and most of them remain hidden till you uncover them by performing volunteer activities. Abby Kohut, president of Staffing Symphony LLC, recommends that 20 percent of a job seeker’s time be spent on volunteering.

Volunteering is a benevolent activity that could be extremely rewarding, especially for those in transition who need to hear a thank-you once in a while. Helping others is inherently enriching and satisfying. Providing assistance for others and lending a hand to people in need certainly qualify as good deeds. And when you give, you also get.

In general, people are open to the idea of volunteering but usually don’t take steps to initiate it because of the unknown and because they don’t know how to go about finding a suitable spot. Two decisions have to be made toward that end: First is to decide what type of volunteering interests you. Second is to decide where to find it. My advice is to search the Internet for the words finding volunteering opportunities. From there you’ll be guided to settling on your decisions.

Since volunteering is unpaid, your commitment can be short- or long-term. Make sure that during involvement in volunteer activities you take advantage of the opportunity to get acquainted with other people. Volunteering makes for an excellent occasion to network with people who appreciate your commitment to volunteer. Such people will listen to you and likely want to reciprocate. Make the most of it.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Networking While in Transition is the Key to Success

Becoming unemployed is likely a sudden, unexpected event, and most people do not have the networking skills needed to immediately switch gears and begin efficiently developing job leads. There could be many reasons: feeling uncomfortable with the networking process, not knowing the process, being shy by nature, or never having needed to network in the past. Unfortunately, people in transition need to resort to networking, because it has been found that 60 to 80 percent of people are getting their next jobs via networking.

The purpose of job-search networking is to cultivate relationships to lean on for getting advice, information, and--it is hoped--referrals. The objective is to expand your sphere of personal connections. Certainly, whom you know is important, but in this instance, equally or possibly even more important is who knows you. After all, you’re the one looking for a next job.

Networking is a learned skill. And it’s not necessary to be Mr. or Ms. Personality in order to be successful at it. Networking also involves consulting people who can list the search tools and strategies that have worked for them in past; people like telling their stories. Involve people in building your own search tools. Try to unfold the hidden job market--the positions that have not yet been advertised or that won’t ever be. That’s the reason they’re called hidden.

While networking, be considerate, genuine, and timely so that people will be willing to lend a hand. Smiling--smiling a lot--is very effective while networking. Genial body language coveys that you are friendly and are enjoying your relationship with the other person. Who wants to be associated with a Sorrowful Sue or a Negative Ned? It’s a big enough burden just to be in transition, and others usually don’t want to hear about someone else’s problems. You need to project a friendly and helpful image of yourself: Let the other person talk. Don’t monopolize the conversation. Exchange contact information and agree to follow up within a day or two. Keep the momentum going. By being a good networker, you increase your chances of getting a job severalfold.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

Investing in Your Interview Wardrobe Pays Dividends

The day for your interview has been scheduled. That means you were among the handful of people selected out of dozens of applicants to continue the competition toward the job offer. Not only do you need this job very badly, but also you studied for it thoroughly by preparing yourself for difficult interview questions and you’re really psyched up. But wait. What will you wear to this coveted interview?

An administrative assistant will usher you into an office or conference room where the interviewer and possibly others are waiting for you. They’ve studied your résumé and are prepared. The door opens and you walk in--energetically and with a big smile. They’re looking at you and noticing your appearance. You’re making an impression, and you want that impression to be excellent. You also know that that first impression is a lasting one. Some of what they see cannot be changed. This is the way you look--whether it’s good or bad. But there’s a lot you can do to improve this first and vital impression.

For men it is to some extent easier. Make sure your appearance is clean. A recent haircut and a close shave are musts; a graying beard or mustache adds years to your age. Typically, a well-tailored suit in a dark color--but not black--is recommended. In summer a nice light color is appropriate but preferably for the follow-up interview, not the first one. However, if the dress code is business casual, the suit may be waived. The shirt--well fitted and in a contemporary style--should complement your attire. Investing in a today’s-fashion tie is smart. A haberdashery sales associate could guide you, or you could look at a few pictures in one of the clothing-store catalogs that get stuffed periodically into your mailbox. A belt, too, should accentuate your positive appearance. Socks should be in a solid color, without any visible pattern, and should match the color of your shoes. Shoes are extremely important, not only to feel comfortable in but also because they, too, speak about you. A well-shined pair of new shoes creates the image you want to present.

The same principles apply to women as well. A hairstyle that enhances appearance is important. Don’t overdo makeup, and my recommendation is to skip the perfume when going for an interview. Your taste in perfumes may not match others’, and the aroma may linger long after you’ve left the office. If you smoke, I suggest you refrain from smoking for at least six hours prior to the interview and that you make sure your interview clothing has been aired out; nonsmokers can detect smokers from far away. Keep jewelry to a minimum, and remember that cleavage and revealing, short skirts might enhance your candidacy in the modeling profession, but if you’re applying for other jobs, consider a more professional, conservative look.

Remember the cliché that “the clothing makes the man,” and if you believe it, then investing in your interview wardrobe to enhance your image and thus your chances for the job offer makes sense.

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Is age discrimination an issue in job search?

Is age discrimination an issue in job search?

While in Transition, Focus--But on What?

I for one fully understand those in transition. I’ve been there at times myself--and for way too long. Life for the unemployed is hugely confusing. The quasi life equilibrium that used to exist before the transition period has been lost. And everybody you know seems to want to be helpful by giving you (nonprofessional) advice, which can add another layer of confusion to your bewilderment, thereby causing further disorientation. So, what’s the best thing to do to get back on track, get a job, and reach a life balance again? The answer may seem too simplistic: FOCUS.

You’ve probably heard the cliché “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re going nowhere.” How true, so therefore you need a path, a direction, and a huge amount of mental energy to stay focused on the right things.

The following (professional!) advice is paraphrased from a recent networking presentation given by my friend Abby Kohut (http://absolutelyabby.com/), who’s one of the smartest people I know in this business.

• Thirty percent of your time should be spent in live networking. Sixty to 80 percent of people get their jobs via networking. Think about how you got your last job: probably by talking to someone who put you in touch with others, and the next thing was an interview.
• Another 30 percent of your time should be spent on applying for jobs online, generating leads, and communicating via e-mail.
• Twenty percent of your time should be spent on volunteering. It is critical for your mental health simply to be with people, to get involved, and to get exposure.
• The last 20 percent of your time should be spent doing things for yourself. People are like batteries: periodically, they need to be recharged. In order to project to the hiring manager via the interview that you are the ideal candidate, you have to feel good about yourself. So, whatever makes you feel that way, do it!

By following these guidelines, staying focused, and cultivating perseverance, you’ll be handsomely rewarded with a job you deserve.

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

My Resume Is Ready. What Now?

People in transition or those who contemplate making a job change should not start dispersing their résumés all over the place before those résumés are up to snuff. I know that people in transition are very eager to get back in the game, to restore their (temporarily) lost identity, and to restart the flow of income, but the biggest mistake they make at this point is to start blasting weak credentials. Once your résumé hits cyberspace, you never know where it’s going to end up. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that before you post a résumé, it be a solid and strong one.

Next, the question is where to post it? Generally there are three types of job boards.

·        The big and popular job boards such as HotJobs.com, Monster, and CareerBuilder.com are musts. While there may be overlaps among them, you never know which one is used by which recruiter or which potential employer.

·        Those in the six-figure-income range can also post their résumés on such job search sites as sixfiguresjob.com, which is still free. They can also possibly try for at least one month certain others such as The Ladders.com and ExecuNet, which charge a small fee. The value of these sites is hotly debated among their users. Some job seekers were greatly helped by them, while others considered it a waste.

·        There are several other, specialized sites such as lawjobs.com, Biospace, and HigherEdJobs, which should be used as appropriate.

A question I’m being frequently asked is how many job boards to use. My answer is that five to eight are suitable. Posting on job boards is laborious when setting them up for the first time. After doing so, it’s important to visit the sites daily—yes, daily--and make a small change such as adding or deleting a line and then saving the change. Doing that makes your résumé appear to be fresh. Recruiters have many fresh résumés to choose from, so why should they bother looking at older ones whose owners may have found already employment elsewhere?

The push and the pull

Now that you’ve pushed your résumé out into cyberspace, you should pull in openings that have been posted. Several job search sites do that for you. They’re known by the term aggregators. Indeed.com is one of the most popular ones, and there are others such as JobCircle and Simply Hired.

The aggregators are very user-friendly, and as a job seeker, you should set up a number of job alerts, as they are called, to reach your in-box daily. In fact, you should have several of them based on different keywords you’ve used and the distance from your ZIP code that you’re willing to commute to a job. The disadvantage of these types of sites is that there will be many duplicates. It takes a few trials and errors before hitting it right.

Good hunting!

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Want to Change Career? What Does It Take?

No surprise that in this economy more and more people are toying around with the idea of changing careers. For some, such a change represents an opportunity; for others, it may be a necessity because their industries are shifting, shrinking, or becoming extinct. The question my clients ask with more and more frequency is how to go about it. Regrettably, though, there’s no simple or one-size-fits-all answer, because each situation is unique. In other words, no two people’s circumstances are the same. A career coach cannot make such a decision for a client; the answer has to come from the individual. A career coach can of course counsel, guide, and support the process.

Let’s make sure we understand that I’m not referring to a job change. A career change is a radical change--for example, an executive with a finance background who buys a restaurant, or a manager at AT&T, a very well-known communications company, who shifts into managing an adult community or a nursing home. Those are real-life examples of people who were successful at making those changes; I know them personally. So, the questions are, What drives the process? and What does it take to come out as a winner?

 

Now let’s agree from the beginning that a career change involves significant risk. Not all career changes work out well. Decisions of this nature have at least two major components: the intellectual and the emotional. The emotional part involves the pain that a person endures and that strongly motivates and impels the person toward willingness to take a risk. The other component is the intellectual part, which involves, say, the person’s need--or desire--to make more money or the person’s disappointment with the industry, or with the nature of the current job, or with an intolerable boss who is apparently not leaving soon.

At the core of the job-changing decision-making process are three questions that require concrete answers:

  > What are the job-changing individual’s values?

  > What does the job-changing individual have to offer a potential employer?

  > What does the job-changing individual expect in return?

Values have to do with one’s feelings about family, recognition, monetary rewards, security, promotions, belonging, commitment, loyalty, and so forth. The answer to the question regarding what one has to offer will be an analysis of skills--such as marketing, presentation, sales, research, and data analysis--and then identification of whether one has the traits that support those skills: is the person aggressive, independent, articulate, persuasive, logical, visionary?

The remaining issue deals with what the person wants in return. This touches on environmental and cultural factors. For example, does the person like to work in small organizations or big ones? How does the person feel about leadership styles, corporate politics, company reputation, work/life balance, and flextime for new parents, for example? And how about critical matters like salary, health coverage, and investment programs versus the minimum levels of compensation and benefits needed?

As you can see, a career change is loaded with complexities. My advice is to consult someone who is equipped to guide you as you navigate this maze. And a challenging maze it is indeed.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

I have all the qualifications, so why am I not being hired?

For you, the only thing you want is to get a job. For the hiring manager, making the hire is a priority competing with many others at the same time. So what is going on in the hiring manager’s mind? Most hiring managers take no pleasure in the hiring process. It’s just one more thing they have to take care of, and they often feel insecure in making that final decision, since some of their previous hires proved disappointing.

A hiring manager also knows that making a hiring mistake could potentially ruin his reputation and credibility. While reviewing resumes he is asking himself three questions: Why should he interview you? What can you do for him? And if hired, would you be effective in filling the job duties?

Now, provided that you get invited for an interview, the hiring manager has three more qualifying questions to answer before deciding to hire you: (1) Are you particularly good at what he needs done? He is not hiring just average people. This is your opportunity to recite your accomplishments eloquently and succinctly. Do not repeat what you said in the past. Highlight only your accomplishments and the results. (2) Do you fit into his organization? This is the primary area in which you have to be convincing. You may have all the qualifications, but if the hiring manager cannot see you as part of his organization, then nothing will help you. (3) Are you committed? The hiring manager sees in you an investment—hopefully, a long-term investment. And he wants to make sure it’s a good one. He also wants to make sure you are promotable and have the potential to grow within the organization.

As you can see, the hiring process is complex for both the hiring manager and the candidate. Both sides will share in the potential rewards as well as the associated risks. The question for the candidate remains: how to increase chances of getting hired by outshining the competition? The theoretical answer is to network to the max, because statistics have proved that 60 to 80% of people found their jobs via networking. The practical answer is to mock-practice your interviewing skills. You can do that with friends or your spouse or—best of all—with a qualified career coach. The reason that interviewing skills are vital to acquire is simply that hiring managers make their decisions based on how well you interview and not on your job skills.

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

The Interview Is about Understanding the Psychology of the Interviewer

We may not recognize or admit it, but each of us is driven by our own personal psychology--and so is the interviewer. Therefore, the better we understand the decision maker the better we can answer his questions thus improving the chances for getting the job. This sounds logical doesn’t it? So let’s talk about the types of interviewers one may face.

There are a number of systems that are used to label people; DISC is one of them and there are others as well. While working for a major pharmaceutical company, I was introduced to another system, called MBS, Management By Strengths (www.strengths.com). MBS is very simple to use and could prove extremely helpful. As a job candidate, if you can quickly identify what type of person the interviewer is and adapt to his style and needs, you’ve already achieved at least 50 percent success.

MBS recognizes four types of people, and to make the system memorable, the people are identified by colors as follows.

• RED stands for directness. Red types focus on the result, on being in control, and on solving problems. They have strong egos and are hard-driving and decisive. Most of the time reds are calm, but occasionally they erupt like volcanoes, letting you have it. And then everything goes back to normal. Being interviewed by a red requires that you be direct and to the point. Red will want you to explain WHAT. Focus on results, and talk about actions.

• GREEN stands for extroversion. Here the focus is on people. Green types are outgoing, cheerful, mostly positive, enthusiastic, and pleasant. They like teamwork--working with people. Greens are talkative: Have you had an interview where the interviewer did the lion’s share of the talking? How frustrating! During an interview with a green, you should show enthusiasm, be interactive, and explain WHO. Elaborate on your involvement with teams, act friendly, and be open.

• BLUE stands for pace. Blue types value timing, harmony, and cooperation. They seem cool under pressure. They hate being rushed and are therefore excellent planners. Schedules and deadlines are very important to blues. They seem relaxed and easygoing. When interviewing with a blue, show that you’re calm and in control. Explain WHEN. Focus on timing and harmony. Show how you kept everything under control and on time.

• YELLOW stands for structure. Yellow types are constantly taking notes. They believe that if it’s in writing, then it’s a fact. In their lives, everything is filed away for future use. In their offices there are papers, files, books everywhere. Yellows are naturally good organizers. They love to be right and hate to be criticized. Therefore they gather all the facts and are very careful and slow in making decisions. Yellows don’t take change well. They appreciate knowing the rules, expectations, and instructions. When interviewing with a yellow, explain WHY. Be as detailed as possible. Focus on doing the right things. Talk about documented facts. Act organized and specific.

So, now that you know the basics about these four types of people, your job is to quickly decide what color your interviewer is. If you’re able to align with the interviewer’s traits, your chances for a successful interview are immensely increased.

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Keywords in Résumé Lead to Interviews

Eighty percent of all submitted résumés (and 100 percent of résumés sent to Fortune 1000 companies) get scanned by software commonly known as an applicant-tracking system (ATS), and such scanned résumés are stored on a server in a digitized format. Humans are seeing your résumé only if it resurfaces based on a query. That’s why most job applicants don’t receive responses from companies after submitting résumés. Therefore, in order to increase your résumé’s chances of being at least viewed by a human--even if it’s not thereafter considered suitable--you have to understand the process and beat them at their own game.

Human resources departments that use ATSs base their queries on keywords they lift from job descriptions or receive verbally from hiring managers. Based on that information, the ATS extracts appropriate résumés from the ones on file. The human resources employee’s query may result in just a few résumés or a vast number. The ATS also scores those résumés and sorts and prioritizes them. Then the employee reviews, say, 20 and submits 5 to be interviewed.

Your job is to ensure that you embed sufficient keywords in your résumé. So, what’s the best way to find those magical keywords? It’s a simple, albeit somewhat tedious, exercise.

1. Search the Internet via job boards such as Monster and The Ladders.com to find 5 to 20 job descriptions of jobs advertised in the field you’re interested in.

2. Cut and paste all of the descriptions one after another into a new Word document.

3. Review the document, resetting in boldface what you consider the keywords throughout.

4. Delete everything except the boldface words.

5. Alphabetize the words, and delete duplicates.

6. Copy your résumé into a new Word document, and repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 on that copy.

The two resulting lists will display which keywords from the descriptions are missing from your résumé. And now comes the creative part: you incorporate the missing keywords into your résumé so it seems seamless and a perfect match for the context in which the words are mentioned in the job descriptions.

By doing this admittedly laborious task, you increase manyfold your chances of being picked out from the crowd.

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

FREE Resume Tune-Up Workshop at Trinity Church in Princeton on June 7, at 2:00 pm

I am offering again a FREE community service at the Trinity Church of Princeton http://www.trinityprinceton.org/ in the form of a “Resume Tune-up Workshop”.  Participants will walk away with knowledge about subjects such as; the resume appearance, how to avoid common resume mistakes, what constitutes an effective resume, in addition to pertinent tips for resume improvements.  Who can benefit from such a workshop?  It is most recommended for those people who are currently in transition or others who are considering changing jobs.

Where: Trinity Church - 33 Mercer Street Princeton, NJ 08540  (http://www.trinityprinceton.org/directionsAndParking.cfm)

Location: Parish Hall

When: Friday, June 7, 2010

Time: From 2:00 pm to approx. 5:00 pm

What to bring: Your resume, a pad for notes and a positive attitude.

How to sign up:  Click on this URL: http://tiny.cc/lk7jv fill out the form and submit

Space is limited to 80 people and only those who pre-registered will be allowed in. First come, first served.

For more details about my background visit www.landingexpert.com , view my LinkedIn Profile and read my blog at http://landingexpert.posterous.com/

Alex

Alex Freund

(609)333-8866

Email: alex@landingexpert.com

Website: www.landingexpert.com

Blog:  www.landingexpert.posterous.com

LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/alexfreund

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"

Résumé + Interview = A Job

The formula expressed in the title sounds so simple yet for some is difficult to achieve. So let’s together demystify the two elements for getting a job offer.

The Résumé

Because of the enormously large pool of job applicants nowadays, even a very good résumé may not get singled out when compared with the many outstanding résumés. It’s a competition for sure, and only, say, five résumés might be considered for invitations to face-to-face interviews. So, how does one put together an excellent résumé? That depends: if you have good writing skills, you can draft a résumé and then have some people whose proficiency and judgment you trust review and edit it for you until it becomes excellent. Consult career coaches, human resources professionals, or recruiters. Hopefully, you’ve developed good relationships with such people, who will agree to help by expressing their opinions.

If you are not skilled with language, I suggest you seek a professional résumé writer who has performed work for others and brought them success. This is a good investment, since otherwise, you’re merely spreading around a noncompetitive résumé that brings no action--and you will never find out why. Many people fall into that trap, and they therefore lose time and of course the opportunity to make money. So, how does one know whether one’s résumé is excellent? The answer is very simple: Excellent résumés get action. The rest don’t--or do only very rarely.

The Interview

Congratulations! Your résumé was attractive and intriguing enough to persuade a hiring manager to want a conversation with you in order to explore your candidacy for an opening, competitively with a few others. Now the real competition starts. All of those who have been invited to interview stood out too and could potentially take the job, meaning that they have the skills for it. But the hiring manager has another need to satisfy--and that is whether you fit and will be committed to the company. Ascertaining whether you fit is very much psychological on the part of the hiring manager, who is asking himself whether your future peers would accept you, whether you and he are aligned ideologically, whether his own boss would consider you a good hire, and whether you represent a promising investment. And there are other, similar questions, whose answers can be rather subjective.

The hiring manager’s final area of vital interest has to do with whether you seem committed to the job. He wants to ensure (1) that you have potential for growth within the company, (2) that you won’t move to a competitor if the company goes through some difficult times and someone else is offering you a fraction more compensation, and (3) that you deliberately targeted this company as an employer.

If you can convince the hiring manager that you’re the right choice, if you answer questions properly, and if you project positivity and energy, your chances for getting an offer are good. Good luck on your next job. Feel good about yourself. You deserve it.

Alex Freund is the founder of Landing Expert–Career Coaching. His Web site includes a current and comprehensive list of job search networking groups in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and the city of New York, and the site is visited by thousands of people every month. Landing Expert is a premier career-coaching service with the objective of preparing job seekers for interviews. Alex’s clients are gaining knowledge, receiving marketing material, and acquiring the know-how to beat the competition.

Alex can be reached at:

609-333-8866

alex@landingexpert.com

www.landingexpert.com

Follow me on Twitter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Read my blog.

Posted via email from "The Landing Expert"