Can't Find a Job? Do You Know Why?

Growth, evolution, changes. Technology may be a wonderful thing, but it has negative elements—especially if you’re in transition and looking for a job. Why? Perhaps you don’t know how to conduct a contemporary job search. Well, that may not be true, and don’t blame yourself.

The résumé

Two decades ago, applicants would submit their IBM Selectric–typewritten résumés to companies’ personnel offices when applying for jobs. Today, applicants modify and tailor their word-processed résumés to include many of the keywords they pick up from job descriptions themselves because applicants know that companies’ applicant tracking system softwares rate those keywords high when hiring managers make queries. Regrettably, in the current economy, the job market is literally flooded with résumés to the point that résumés are clogging up the system and overwhelming the people making searches. One study pointed out that a company’s applicant/candidate search surfaces way too many very qualified applicants because all of the applicants’ résumés have the right keywords—which causes yet another problem: yes, the computer mechanically selects résumés based on skills and keywords, but the hiring manager is looking also for a good fit into the company’s culture. And that’s the reason companies conduct multiple interviews.

The interview

If you’re asked to come in for an interview, it means you had sufficient keywords to convince the hiring manager that you have the skills to do the job. But now comes the second test, which for some is more difficult. In the next hour or so, during that interview, you have to convince the interviewer(s) that in addition to a skill set, you have the personality traits to make you a welcome employee in their organization. For example, you show your passion and excitement for the job and the work; you’re an excellent communicator; you have a pleasant demeanor; you’re not argumentative, opinionated, or abrasive; and you possess all the qualities of the ideal candidate. It is hoped that the interviewer’s boss would comment favorably on your selection and that your future peers and subordinates would praise you in your absence. This is a tall order, because all of the other candidates of course have good skills too; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been selected for interviews.

So, what’s the key to success? There are two answers: (1) prepare for the interview by practicing, practicing, practicing mock interviewing with an experienced interview coach, and (2) learn how to be an actor. In fact, while interviewing, you are an actor onstage, and those interviewing you are watching you perform and judging you based on that performance. With proper and adequate preparation, you should be able to outshine your competition. Good luck with the offer—and congratulations on being a good student and open for new and helpful ideas.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

Can't Find a Job? Do You Know Why?

Growth, evolution, changes. Technology may be a wonderful thing, but it has negative elements—especially if you’re in transition and looking for a job. Why? Perhaps you don’t know how to conduct a contemporary job search. Well, that may not be true, and don’t blame yourself.

The résumé

Two decades ago, applicants would submit their IBM Selectric–typewritten résumés to companies’ personnel offices when applying for jobs. Today, applicants modify and tailor their word-processed résumés to include many of the keywords they pick up from job descriptions themselves because applicants know that companies’ applicant tracking system softwares rate those keywords high when hiring managers make queries. Regrettably, in the current economy, the job market is literally flooded with résumés to the point that résumés are clogging up the system and overwhelming the people making searches. One study pointed out that a company’s applicant/candidate search surfaces way too many very qualified applicants because all of the applicants’ résumés have the right keywords—which causes yet another problem: yes, the computer mechanically selects résumés based on skills and keywords, but the hiring manager is looking also for a good fit into the company’s culture. And that’s the reason companies conduct multiple interviews.

The interview

If you’re asked to come in for an interview, it means you had sufficient keywords to convince the hiring manager that you have the skills to do the job. But now comes the second test, which for some is more difficult. In the next hour or so, during that interview, you have to convince the interviewer(s) that in addition to a skill set, you have the personality traits to make you a welcome employee in their organization. For example, you show your passion and excitement for the job and the work; you’re an excellent communicator; you have a pleasant demeanor; you’re not argumentative, opinionated, or abrasive; and you possess all the qualities of the ideal candidate. It is hoped that the interviewer’s boss would comment favorably on your selection and that your future peers and subordinates would praise you in your absence. This is a tall order, because all of the other candidates of course have good skills too; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been selected for interviews.

So, what’s the key to success? There are two answers: (1) prepare for the interview by practicing, practicing, practicing mock interviewing with an experienced interview coach, and (2) learn how to be an actor. In fact, while interviewing, you are an actor onstage, and those interviewing you are watching you perform and judging you based on that performance. With proper and adequate preparation, you should be able to outshine your competition. Good luck with the offer—and congratulations on being a good student and open for new and helpful ideas.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

America, the Land of Marketing and Selling

Every morning when I get to my computer, I’m amazed at how many companies have targeted me as someone in need of their products or services. I take it in stride, though, because in 99 percent of the cases, I’m of course not interested, and I know that the e-mail has been sent to a vast audience.

Usually, I read at least some of the content because I’m intrigued not by the content but by the company’s marketing tactics. I do get puzzled, though, by the reason that all of these marketing gurus advocate the overwhelming of their audiences. We know that the average person’s span of attention is 20 seconds, yet a read of the entire document would probably take more than 10 minutes. So, my questions are, How many people are turned off by an e-mail’s sheer size? How many read at least a portion of the message? and, How many become convinced that the product or service is exactly what they need and in the end, buy it?

I for one am the type of person who needs information summed up quickly and who must be kept intrigued; otherwise, I delete without remorse and move on.

Specifically what caught my eye this morning was an e-mail about “winning, job interview answers.” The Web site link led to listed several potentially difficult interview questions—designed of course to work on the reader’s emotions. It reminded me of a common question that life insurance salespeople like to ask: “What happens to your loved ones once you die?” Further, the site promised to build your likability. And your confidence. Oh, really? That easily? And all this by downloading a bunch of PDF files and buying books that, if done by tonight(!), would be discounted 40%. And to build a reader’s confidence, there’s also a wealth recommendation.

What seemed scary to me was the insinuation that by reading the answers to such questions, “you will get hired.” But I’m in fact a practicing professional career coach specializing in training people for interviews. And after several years of such practice and after serving several hundred clients, I can say with confidence that the insinuation about getting hired is an exaggeration.

Interview preparation is a complex task, involving more than just memorization of canned answers. I wonder if anyone believes that reading a book on, say, how to dance makes one ready to jump onto the dance floor and do a demonstration in front of an audience of critical judges. The only way I know of to train people for interviews is by demonstrating for them, practicing with them, providing constructive critiques, and then doing it again and again till perfect.  Please share your opinion.  The value of these blogs is in others’ comments.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

How to Benefit from the Positive Job Market Outlook

Based on a recent survey by economists, the job market outlook is projecting steady growth in employment. Recruiting consultant CareerXroads reports that new companies find 28 percent of their hires via referrals. Job boards represent one in five applicants, or 20 percent. And career Web sites, about 10 percent. For job seekers or those who contemplate changes in their careers, such statistical information is pertinent so they can know how to spend their time searching for that new gig.

The most efficient way to search is via a job search aggregator such as Indeed.com or SimplyHired.com. Both of those engines search through all jobs in one go, pulling up results from job boards, newspapers’ job sections, companies’ career pages, recruiter sites, and more. Instead of looking via many job boards, these aggregators are huge time savers, but they often display duplicate results. Despite that, they’re still efficient and very helpful. But don’t ignore individual job boards and particularly the specialized ones in your industry. To find those that pertain to your industry, Google them.

As the cliché says, however, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” You need to work your way via multiple channels. Close to a third of jobs are filled via referrals, and a large number of LinkedIn contacts could prove useful for that. Once you’ve targeted a few companies and found an opening, it is imperative that you reach out to the hiring manager. Getting your résumé in front of that person and possibly having a phone chat could make the difference between getting an offer and sending your résumé to nowhere.

But let’s review for a moment the reason for the need to look for a job to start with: because the economy is vastly different from economies we remember from the past. In today’s economic climate, people are expected to change jobs and, occasionally, careers. Job stability is simply no longer guaranteed. So, what to do now? Continuing your education and earning advanced credentials are more important than ever, because in this fast-changing and shifting job market, the only things that stay with you and that you can never lose are your professional experience, newly acquired skills, and credentials.

In summary, the future cannot be expected to remind us of the past but is instead similar to a chameleon by constantly changing and morphing into new norms with new needs. Only those who adapt to that future will succeed. The rest will lag and be left out.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

5 Tips to Help You Penetrate the Hidden Job Market

Written by Candace Waller as a guest blogger

Speakers Corners: Alex Freund

5 Tips to Help You Penetrate the Hidden Job Market

The rules of finding a job have changed drastically in recent years as many job seekers are finding out. The way you found your job five years ago is very different to the current job market. There is much more reliance on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Google + and Twitter to find and network with those in position to hire. This requires that job applicants understand etiquette when connecting online. The sheer numbers of people looking for work has complicated things further and put the power with companies and not job seekers.

Penetrating the hidden job market has become even more important due to the aforementioned facts especially for those out of work for six month or more. Alex Freund presentation on finding these unpublicized jobs gave participants new insights and ideas into doing this.

#1 Network with smaller companies.

Everyone wants to work for a large company for numerous reasons including better pay and better benefits but in a weakened economy smaller companies hire more.  Large firms may be top heavy and use layoff to restructure and become leaner. Applicants may see job opportunities posted at larger companies that will be given to internal candidates. This can be misleading to candidate who apply thinking they have a shot a job when in reality they are listed to fulfill legal guidelines.

Smaller companies may not offer all the benefits that larger can but they may be understaffed and need to hire. Candidates may also find the progression to higher-level titles move faster.

#2 Take on temp and short-term assignments.

Some applicants feel that short term assignments especially those lasting six month or less is a waste of time. Nothing can be further from the truth.  Approximately 13.5 percent of jobs are contingent meaning they are part-time, temporary or contract. Companies do this because they often want to test out a candidate to see if they will fit with the corporate culture and people they are working with.

These positions often can turn into full time positions. Applicants on these contingent assignments should demonstrate their ability to make positive contributions to the company. This is the time to really show what you can do. These assignments may lead to fulltime or you may gain valuable connections and references that can help you get into other companies.

#3 Learn how to talk with people in person and online

Most jobs are not published because they are filled via referrals.  This is not the time to be shy about letting people know that you are looking for a job. Attending various networking groups, career events and job fairs are good ways to build up your contacts list.

Many colleges have career centers that can be accessed by alumni. Reaching out to alumni that graduated from the same school is a great way to build contacts.  Send out emails asking for information and follow-up with a phone call. People want to be helpful and love talking about themselves.

#4 Put more time into your job search.

Most applicants only dedicate 6-10 hours a week to their job search.  The successful job candidate spends about 40 hours a week searching for work. This includes attending career fairs, networking meetings and job programs, applying for positions online, networking online and volunteers. Applicants can also take advantage of classes given by the Department of Labor, public libraries and career networking groups to improve their skills.

It takes several contacts in a company to get positions. Many job seekers become discouraged if one person says no. There are other people at a company that could be your advocates so don’t give up if one person says no.

#5 Generate more job leads.

Applicants must attend different job networking events and careers fairs so that they can meet and network with other people; The Landing Expert Lists most of the networking clubs and events in the tri-state area.  Go to different groups and locations to find a group that fits your needs.

Other ways to generate leads include

Checking out listing in the newspapers and online to find out that is hiring.

Job fairs

Search engine searches

Religious organizations

Alumni Groups/College Career Centers

Clubs, (Sororities and Fraternities)

Volunteer Organizations

Former Employees/Colleagues

Family and Friends

#Bonus Tip
Ignore that little voice in your head that says discouraging things.

Applicants may be their own worst enemy believing the negative thoughts in their minds.  You must believe in yourself and your abilities. The more positive you are feeling and acting the more likely others will want to help you with your job search.

You may feel like no one will help you and that may be confirmed if the first you speak to isn’t helpful. However you must keep going and not give up. Eventually you will find a job and that process will go much faster if you look for jobs in the hidden job market.

Alex Freund is a career coach who volunteers his time to speak with various groups sharing tips on how to find a job. His website landingexpert.com features tips, resources and the Landing Expert List providing 70 plus pages of information on where career groups meet in the tri-state area.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

5 Tips to Help You Penetrate the Hidden Job Market

Written by Candace Waller as a guest blogger

Speakers Corners: Alex Freund

5 Tips to Help You Penetrate the Hidden Job Market

The rules of finding a job have changed drastically in recent years as many job seekers are finding out. The way you found your job five years ago is very different to the current job market. There is much more reliance on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Google + and Twitter to find and network with those in position to hire. This requires that job applicants understand etiquette when connecting online. The sheer numbers of people looking for work has complicated things further and put the power with companies and not job seekers.

Penetrating the hidden job market has become even more important due to the aforementioned facts especially for those out of work for six month or more. Alex Freund presentation on finding these unpublicized jobs gave participants new insights and ideas into doing this.

#1 Network with smaller companies.

Everyone wants to work for a large company for numerous reasons including better pay and better benefits but in a weakened economy smaller companies hire more.  Large firms may be top heavy and use layoff to restructure and become leaner. Applicants may see job opportunities posted at larger companies that will be given to internal candidates. This can be misleading to candidate who apply thinking they have a shot a job when in reality they are listed to fulfill legal guidelines.

Smaller companies may not offer all the benefits that larger can but they may be understaffed and need to hire. Candidates may also find the progression to higher-level titles move faster.

#2 Take on temp and short-term assignments.

Some applicants feel that short term assignments especially those lasting six month or less is a waste of time. Nothing can be further from the truth.  Approximately 13.5 percent of jobs are contingent meaning they are part-time, temporary or contract. Companies do this because they often want to test out a candidate to see if they will fit with the corporate culture and people they are working with.

These positions often can turn into full time positions. Applicants on these contingent assignments should demonstrate their ability to make positive contributions to the company. This is the time to really show what you can do. These assignments may lead to fulltime or you may gain valuable connections and references that can help you get into other companies.

#3 Learn how to talk with people in person and online

Most jobs are not published because they are filled via referrals.  This is not the time to be shy about letting people know that you are looking for a job. Attending various networking groups, career events and job fairs are good ways to build up your contacts list.

Many colleges have career centers that can be accessed by alumni. Reaching out to alumni that graduated from the same school is a great way to build contacts.  Send out emails asking for information and follow-up with a phone call. People want to be helpful and love talking about themselves.

#4 Put more time into your job search.

Most applicants only dedicate 6-10 hours a week to their job search.  The successful job candidate spends about 40 hours a week searching for work. This includes attending career fairs, networking meetings and job programs, applying for positions online, networking online and volunteers. Applicants can also take advantage of classes given by the Department of Labor, public libraries and career networking groups to improve their skills.

It takes several contacts in a company to get positions. Many job seekers become discouraged if one person says no. There are other people at a company that could be your advocates so don’t give up if one person says no.

#5 Generate more job leads.

Applicants must attend different job networking events and careers fairs so that they can meet and network with other people, The landingexpert.com lists most of the networking clubs and events in the tri-state area.  Go to different groups and locations to find a group that fits your needs.

Other ways to generate leads include

Checking out listing in the newspapers and online to find out that is hiring.

Job fairs

Search engine searches

Religious organizations

Alumni Groups/College Career Centers

Clubs, (Sororities and Fraternities)

Volunteer Organizations

Former Employees/Colleagues

Family and Friends

#Bonus Tip
Ignore that little voice in your head that says discouraging things.

Applicants may be their own worst enemy believing the negative thoughts in their minds.  You must believe in yourself and your abilities. The more positive you are feeling and acting the more likely others will want to help you with your job search.

You may feel like no one will help you and that may be confirmed if the first you speak to isn’t helpful. However you must keep going and not give up. Eventually you will find a job and that process will go much faster if you look for jobs in the hidden job market.

Alex Freund is a career coach who volunteers his time to speak with various groups sharing tips on how to find a job. His website landingexpert.com features tips, resources and the Landing Expert List providing 70 plus pages of information on where career groups meet in the tri-state area.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

The Art and Science of the Face-to-Face Interview

Consider yourself very lucky for being considered for a face-to-face interview. It just means that you survived the first phase of the competition; your résumé projected you as someone deserving of further exploration; and you outshone the vast majority of your competition. The most critical test, however, is still ahead of you. You are at this point electrified, thrilled, and exuberant, but if you don’t convince the interviewer(s) that you’re the ideal candidate, then the offer goes to someone else and you’ll feel defeated, deflated, and depressed. That’s why an understanding of the dynamics that get played out during the interview could potentially tilt the decision in your favor.

So, what is it that drives the interview—from the interviewer’s perspective? A large survey that was conducted among hiring managers, human resources people, and recruiters shockingly revealed that 100 percent of interviewers are looking for “fit with their culture,” and about 82 percent are looking for “passion and excitement.” All the rest of the questions scored below the 40th percentile. So, from that survey, we’ve learned decisively how interview decisions are being made. And now you can prepare because no longer is the interview a pure guessing game.

Of course, it’s impossible to predict the interviewer’s questions, but it’s reasonable to expect that the conversation will focus on job duties and responsibilities as well as the pertinent skills, experience level, and personality traits preferred for the job. So, then, how do we correlate that focus on “fit with their culture”? The answer comes from (1) the candidate’s ability to sleuth into the company via internal connections, which can be acquired via LinkedIn connections, and (2) by thoroughly researching the company not only for hard facts but also for information in articles about the company or communications written by insiders.

Another subjective side of the “fit” factor involves things you’ll never find in print. For example, does this company embrace diversity? Is age discrimination evident? For example, many start-ups hire primarily young people, expecting to pay them less than they’d have to pay very experienced people. Is gender discrimination evident? Certain industries hire primarily women, and others, primarily men—for example, firefighters and airline pilots.

As mentioned earlier, “passion and excitement” are critical. The interviewee must see himself as an actor onstage. I know this is difficult for some, especially when they’re tense and under pressure. A good way to show the passion and excitement interviewers seek is in your answer to the question, Why do you want to work for us? If your body language does not show the appropriate level of excitement, then your words by themselves will not be convincing.

In this particular case, as well as in the general preparation for an interview, practice is a must: that is, lots of practice, and preferably with someone who can critique you honestly and guide you toward excellence in interview skills.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

Elements of the Perfect Resume

This article was written by Evelyn Robinson and she is a guest on my blog
++++++++++++
Constructing a good resume can be a difficult and frustrating process. Many people feel uncomfortable with the idea of selling their positive qualities and others find it difficult to even identify those qualities in the first place. However, the entire process becomes a lot easier if you understand the different elements which combine to make up the perfect resume.

Recruiters can often be faced with hundreds or even thousands of resumes to work their way through and, as a result, landing the job requires you to make your resume jump out from the pack, catch the eye of the HR representative who is dealing with that process and ensure that it contains the information necessary to earn you an interview.

The Importance of Formatting

When a recruiter makes the decision to advertise a job, they will almost certainly already have a vision in mind of their ideal candidate; the qualities they will have and the content they hope to see on that person's resume. Yet, before it even gets to that stage, your resume has to stand out enough to catch the eye of the HR department. Research shows that, on average, just one interview is granted for every 200 resumes received and, because the eye is naturally drawn to the top half of a page, that section of your resume will either make you or break you before they even get to reading the content included.

The top of your resume should clearly contain your full name and several contact details, so that the employer can get in touch either by phone, email or through the post. Additionally, the page should be structured in clear sections; a personal statement, an outline of your previous work experience, your academic qualifications and your key skills. A clear, consistent structure to the resume will make it more instantly pleasing on the eye and thereby increase the chances of the content actually being read.

Whether your resume should be one page or two is the matter of some debate, though general opinion holds that, unless you are applying for a job, it is best to keep your resume to one page. This shows consideration for the person sorting through the pile of resumes and also forces you to reduce the contents to the best and most essential information.

Key Points for Quality Content

The content is ultimately what is going to land you an interview, or land your resume in the garbage and there are several key points to keep in mind when writing it.

Firstly, your resume should not be general. You need to amend it to suit the job description of the role you are applying for and, with the ideal resume being just one page long, you need to make sure it is concise and only contains relevant information.

Most employers are going to be interested in your previous work experience, as this is the information which will tell them whether you have a proven track record of being able to work in similar companies, similar roles and with similar pressures and expectations.

It is important that you do not simply write your job description and think the recruiter will understand everything involved in it. Be specific. List your personal, individual responsibilities and express the things which you can personally bring to the table. Remember, you are selling yourself, not your previous employer, so simply explaining what your previous company saw your role as being is not enough. Seeing as work experience is important to most employers, it would be sensible to include it in the top half of the resume, where research shows that people's eyes are instantly drawn.

Finally, try not to take up too much valuable space on your resume with your academic qualifications. Highlight the highest level of qualification you have, list the core subjects and your grades, as well as any qualifications which are specifically relevant to the role you are applying for. After that, your academic qualifications become much less important than your previous work experience and the specific skills you can offer.

Avoid Using Too Many 'Buzzwords'

It can be tempting to use key 'buzzwords' to try and catch the eye of the recruitment team, and to an extent it's fine, but it is important not to over-do it. Highlighting your communication skills is fine, but try to give examples of what makes you a better communicator than the average person.

Personal statements which simply read like a list of key phrases are a huge turn-off to employers. If you write that you are "hard-working, enthusiastic, with excellent communication skills" you need to be able to back those things up on the resume, or else you're just like the other 200 applicants, who probably used the same descriptions of themselves.

Keep in mind, you are competing with other people just to get an interview. Make yourself seem different enough from them to warrant one.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

Conventional or Behavior-Based Interviewing?

A job interview has been scheduled for you, but do you know what types of questions you’ll have to answer? This is the dilemma most candidates face. Don’t panic. You can prepare for various types of questions, and I’ll give you a few hints later on. Most companies are using one or the other type: conventional questions or behavior-based questions; even a combination of them is likely.

Behavior-based questions have a clear purpose: the idea is to focus on your past and to conclude that if you behaved in a certain way in the past, then that would be the way you’d behave in the future in a similar situation. So, this expectation is based on predictable future behavior. The interviewer wants to hear how you applied your skills and whether you’ll demonstrate your capabilities in the future. The interviewer wants to assess the entire picture about what you did, what your thought process was, and how you felt about a particular situation. Best way to answer these types of questions is via storytelling. Start describing—in brief—the background situation, and then proceed to describe what you did or the actions you took. Finally, highlight the result of your action and its benefit to the company. Because behavior-based questions can be endless, I suggest that you prepare for them by organizing your thoughts in themes. Remember that the interviewer is looking to validate not only the skills mentioned in your résumé but perhaps also—and even more important—your traits.

Examples of themes are commitment, work ethic, problem solving, leadership, negotiation techniques, and dealing with adversity. To prepare for such themes, it’s best to write out in longhand some examples you could review before the interview and commit to short-term memory. In working on the examples, consider that the interviewer is more interested in the process than in the details of your stories. Rather, the interviewer wants to understand the reasoning that drove your actions: Why did you behave the way you did? And what skills did you have to use?

You will immediately know whether you’re being asked a behavior-based question because such questions typically start with, “Tell me a time when . . . ” or “What has been your biggest . . . ” or “What is the toughest . . . ” or “Describe a situation when . . . ” or “What example can you cite that . . . ” Notice that many behavior-based questions include a superlative or something of a superlative value such as biggest, fastest, toughest, and the like. This might be intimidating. My advice is that when you’re asked such a question, you first think for two or three seconds and then face the interviewer and say, “Well, I’m not sure I can come up at the moment with the [insert the superlative], but here’s an example,” and then give the story.

Behavior-based questions are not so difficult once you have half a dozen to a dozen examples, and you’ve had a chance to practice delivering them in a mock interview setting.

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

The Interview Focus Is on Future, Not Past

Until about 1990, the conventional thinking was that if you did your job satisfactorily, you would keep it for many years to come. Several of my friends were AT&T employees in those days, and many of them had had seniority for one or two decades. So it seemed like they had it made and that the only foreseeable future would be their retirement. But then we learned certain new words, such as downsizing and outsourcing; and life in America started shifting. Until then, managers had had to be good at planning, organizing, managing people, managing processes, managing budgets, and so on.

That was indeed the business world of the past. Today, though, things are different. Today’s managers and rank-and-file employees have to show they are innovators and that they can add value and competitive advantage via creative input and collaboration with internal and external customers. And those who are unable to live up to such expectations soon find themselves either marginalized or reassigned to mundane tasks or, in the worst case, terminated.

Today’s employees have voice—something that typically did not exist in the past—and they’re now judged by the contributions of their creative ideas for improved content, processes, and technologies. Plus, employees are now expected to improve customers’ satisfaction levels and to express themselves more extensively.

So, what does all this have to do with interviewing?

I hope that my preface has shifted the thinking of those preparing to talk about their past during an interview. Of course, you should recite, quantify, and herald your professional accomplishments. But remember that the interviewer’s focus is on the future. Through your examples, the interviewer is trying to figure out whether you’re the one to solve the company’s future problems.

Think about the big picture emphasized earlier, and provide examples of your ability to make the interviewer visualize you and your future contributions as parts of that interviewer’s future team. Here are a few common interview questions that will give you the opportunity to talk about your future with the company.

• Where do you see yourself in the next three to five years?
• Why would you like to work for us?
• What is your management style?
• What would you do within 90 days after your hire?
• What’s your personality like?
• What traits do you consider important for this job?

If well rehearsed, your answers to all of those questions could position you in the hiring manager’s future. Good luck and congratulations!

Posted via email from The Landing Expert

Is the Employer Always Right?

In this new, chaotic, and uncertain century, with its more and more minutely specialized occupations and skill sets and with nothing to do with the faltering economy, it’s not only human resources employees who might not be familiar with certain job skills and the actual needs of the open positions in their organizations. Believe it or not, the hiring managers themselves many times don’t know their own needs until the hapless chosen candidate has completed a typically extensive, lengthy, complex, and personally probing on-boarding administrative process and the candidate has already started reporting for work. Then the employer suddenly dismisses the employee—after perhaps only one or two days on the job—saying it has decided the employee’s skills apparently don’t match the actual needs of the position. That reason is not an employer cover-up for dismissal for a different reason. It is indeed the actual reason.

We’re living in a fast-paced world. Not only in our personal and family lives is everyone in the household or among our acquaintances going in different directions, but the same phenomenon is prevalent even more at work. For instance, the economy forces senior management to make budget cuts, which then cascades down the chain of command. Sometimes management changes are made, and literally everyone gets asked to do more with less and in less time. It’s no wonder, then, that hiring decisions nowadays are going not through a reasonable-length process but through an accelerated, hasty process—one that brings its victims. Employers are treating staff like a printed circuit board in an electronic module: Plug it in, and let’s see whether it’s working. If it is found that the wrong part has been used, it gets quickly replaced with a new one. Perhaps the replacement part will work better.

It is a fact that high employee turnover is very costly and not only in dollars and cents. Does the employer regret or feel contrite that such a dismissal—not based on the employee’s fault—leaves an indelible scar on the psyche of the employee? The answer is, most likely not. And the painful part of that too-often occurrence is going to stay with us until the buyer’s market shifts to the seller’s market, the way it used to be in the late 1900s.

Many people in America lost their jobs because of a shift in the economy that was due to the transfer of a large part of manufacturing to countries where labor is less expensive. Another reason is that evolution of the technology whose machines and computers introduced efficiency made people or hands become redundant. And generally, people are slow in adjusting to the new world. For instance, today’s car mechanics need specialized computer skills and knowledge; otherwise, they cannot repair today’s highly computerized vehicles.

So, with these sorts of rapid changes here to stay, the only issue we’re left to grapple with is whether employers are always right. Do you know? Do you have an answer? What’s your opinion?

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Are You Really Good at Job Interviewing?

Job interviewing is an act. Yes, you are the actor, and both sides know the rules: You, who are one of the candidates for the position, are doing your best to convince the interviewer you are the ideal candidate. The interviewer, who is the audience, has choices, is an independent thinker and often skeptic, and needs evidence and proof before buying everything you want to sell. (Please pardon the mixed metaphor.)

The winner in this competition is not only the individual who, on the positive side, has good answers but also the one who, on the negative side, does not make mistakes. So let’s look at both of those issues.

What are positive factors in an interview?

• Without being specific, an interviewer’s number one concern is whether you’d fit into the company’s culture. This is a loaded subject because the decision is subjective. The candidate should attempt to find out as much as possible about the company’s culture by talking to present and past employees and should then display to the extent possible the traits for a good fit into the culture.
• The other factor weighing heavily on the interviewer’s mind is the image you create. A candidate who exhibits a great deal of passion and excitement as well as specific knowledge about the company seems very attractive.
• More ways to give a positive impression are via general appearance, attire, and, above all, a natural smile. Regardless of geographic location, language, or culture, a smile means the same thing around the globe.

What are negative factors in an interview?

• Lack of confidence is an interview killer. If you’re not sure of yourself, or you don’t have specific examples, or you’re winging many of your answers, the interviewer will probably not be very impressed. Your body language will instantly reveal the truth, and both parties are thinking the same thing without talking about it.
• Certain things are universally considered gauche and should be strictly avoided—for example, being late or smelling of nicotine or strong perfume, dressing improperly, chewing gum, or the ringing of your cell phone in the middle of the interview. Any of those could be detrimental.
• And there are other ways a candidate can disenchant the interviewer—for example, denigrating a previous employer, voicing strong opinions, being caught lying, pointing out where the interviewer is wrong about something, or making the interviewer feel bad—about anything.

So, in summary, what is the holy grail of the interview process? The answer is, it depends, because a large portion of the decision-making process is subjective and hinges on the interviewer’s consciousness, past experiences, personal culture, and intellectual world. What I’ve learned from performing job interview coaching for several years is that the most important success factors are extensive preparation via mock interviewing the building of self-confidence. Both of those are instantly evident to an interviewer.

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How to Sell Yourself in a Job Interview

So, finally the phone rings and the caller ID displays the name of a company you sent your résumé to. The caller is from the company’s human resources department and wants to schedule you for an in-person interview. Fantastic, this is music to your ears, but what now? Are you prepared? Do you have time to get ready? More important, do you understand the interview process and in what context the company wants to explore your candidacy? Plus, also remember that such interviews are competitive. In other words, your résumé provided some clues about you that may fit the company’s need, the company’s culture, the skills sought, and so on, but in addition to exploring hiring possibilities with you, the company does so with several additional candidates as well. So now the question is, What can you do to maximize your chances?

Know your relationship with the interviewer

From the moment you hung up the phone with the person arranging the interview, this upcoming face-to-face meeting becomes the focal point of your next few days. Such is not the case, however, with the person who’s going to conduct the interview. For that person, the excitement about meeting with you is minimal—sometimes even to the point that the interviewer might not be prepared to conduct the interview. Sometimes the interviewer does not have with him a copy of your résumé—or even the job description!—and will just wing it, as they say. On top of that, you think that well-rehearsed answers to common interview questions are very convincing. Well, think again. The interviewer knows you came in to sell yourself and knows to expect from you many self-proclaimed adjectives about how great you are. But do you really think the interviewer believes everything you say? Well, maybe some of it—and probably more of it if you have factual examples and you describe them as viewed by others.

What’s actually important to the interviewer?

This is where the candidate is at a disadvantage. Don’t forget that the hiring manager initiated the quest for the “ideal candidate” because there’s a problem to solve. It’s most likely the hiring manager (or interviewer) did not agree to meet with you because of your beautiful hands—well, unless you’re a professional model and the company is selling, say, wristwatches.

Seriously, your focus should be on identifying what the hiring manager needs done. And most likely, that information does not get revealed even via a candid dialogue. The thing is that job descriptions are typically rather general by not highlighting the specifics that are in fact the driving forces behind the hiring process for the positions advertised. Additionally, a large survey conducted among human resources personnel and hiring managers exposed the fact that 100 percent of them were looking for candidate fit into their companies’ cultures. And 82 percent of interviewers said they look for passion and excitement in candidates. So, based on this information, you may think your past speaks very well and you’d therefore be a shoo-in for the position. Not so, says the survey, unless you fit into the culture and you exhibit passion and excitement while interviewing.

As a reader, you may have your own opinion. I’d welcome your comment.

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A guest blogger - Secrets to a Stellar Video Resume

Eugene Lim is a marketing intern at Software Advice, a company that reviews and compares HR software. Read her full blog post here.

In today’s cluttered and competitive job market, job seekers may have a hard time differentiating themselves in what seems to be a sea of paper resumes. Video resumes could be just that extra advantage that sets candidates apart because they offer a unique look at the candidate’s personality and personal brand.
My freshman year of college, I made my own video resume. I thought I was being creative at the time, but in hindsight, it was a disaster (I was wearing pigtails)! With the advice of some seasoned professionals and from my own experience, here are a few tips to craft a stellar video resume.
1. Tailor to the employer
Your video resume should be tailored to fit the specific job and the company culture as well. If the employer has a recruiting video, try to match the tone they set. Josh Tolan, CEO of Sparkhire, encourages candidates to “approach a video resume just like you would an in-person meeting. Keep it polished, poised and professional. Dress professionally and speak with confidence.” Be clever and creative, but make sure the tone and humor can translate into the workplace.

2. Make your case
Your video resume is meant to move further along in the hiring process, so think of it as a sales pitch. Focus on a few strong takeaways for the hiring manager that illustrate why you are perfect for this job. Be sure to have a strong closing statement that summarizes your key points and makes a compelling argument for why the employer should pursue you further.

3. Show them what you can do
Tolan, points out, a video resume is not a replacement of your paper resume or a dramatic reading of it. Your video resume should show employers a side of you that can’t be captured in writing. Show yourself in action, perhaps working on your latest achievement or walking them through a past project with some visuals, or link your video to platforms like Twitter or your online portfolio to communicate a fuller picture of who you are.
Here’s a great example:
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4. Know the limits
Honestly, video resumes aren’t for everyone. Jeremy Roberts, SPHR, advises that this might not be the best path for you if you are uncomfortable in front of the camera or if you are applying to a technical position where your skill set already qualifies you. In that case, a ten-second scan of your paper resume might be all a recruiter needs, so be sure that you are making the best use of the his time and your own.
The goal of a video resume is to communicate who you are and why you’re a qualified candidate for the job. Though it might not be a guaranteed ticket in, it shows that you are willing to go a step further than most job candidates. So grab your camera, get creative and go get that job. Good luck!

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How to Shorten Your Job Search

People in transition know that finding a new, suitable job is a process—and most often, an unpleasant and lengthy one. While this is true in most cases, it doesn’t have to be that way, provided the job seeker understands the search process and becomes efficient with planning, creative thinking, networking, and research.

Where Do You Start Your Search?

You can’t even start searching for a job unless you know what you’re looking for. Unfortunately, many people are so burned out from their previous jobs that the idea of going back to the same kind of position seems to be a monumental barrier. Often, talking to an experienced career coach can help. No career coach will tell a client what to do but will ask the right questions, and jointly the coach and the client can come to the right conclusion. Occasionally, when the situation is severe, a third party is introduced for help. In such extreme cases, I myself refer clients to an experienced counselor and career-coaching expert who has a Ph.D. and over 20 years of experience specifically in such situations.

How to Plan Your Day

A job seeker needs to develop a plan and a strategy. The plan is not only a road map but also an important element in achieving a positive mind-set. Focus and determination are integral parts of the process if one wants to shorten it. This job search strategy has as its goal the identification of ways the job seeker will conduct the job search via various methods, including searching for online job listings, connecting with employment recruiters, and building personal relationships through networking. Keeping track of daily activities is essential by developing a spreadsheet with such information as whom you called and e-mailed and when, what networking events you participated in, and so on. Build a roster of people you met and followed up with. And beware of falling into the trap of spending more than 10 or 15 percent of the day answering online job postings and just searching the Internet in vain.

The job search has several components to it, and therefore, identifying and measuring realistic milestones are very important in order to maintain the positive attitude and self-confidence needed during the long process.

Make sure you have an outstanding résumé. I mean outstanding—not good or very good. Those who do not have an outstanding résumé unknowingly prolong their job search. This is a shame, because they think they’re in the running when in fact they’re not—because their résumé isn’t up to snuff. Companies search mostly among only outstanding candidates. Remember that you are represented by what your résumé projects. No company is knowingly looking for good or very good job candidates. Companies all are looking for outstanding ones. For years, my recommendation has been to use a recommended professional résumé writer. Unless you are one, chances are very good that you’re not capable of producing an outstanding résumé—even if many others have helped you improve or edit it. And last, I suggest you work with a career coach who can prepare you by helping you acquire the skills needed for a successful interview.

Only in the Olympics are there three winners. In the job market, all candidates are losers except one. Good luck to you!

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FREE Resume Tune-up Workshop July 31 at Trinity Church in Princeton

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, the effective way of using keywords in addition to many pertinent tips for resume improvements.  Who is this workshop for?  It is mostly recommended for people who are currently in transition or others who are considering changing jobs.

Where: Trinity Church - 33 Mercer Street Princeton, NJ 08540

When: TUESDAY, July 31, 2012 from 10:00 am to approx. 1:00 pm

How to sign up:  Click on this URL:  http://tinyurl.com/83hfvum  to provide your contact information and click on “Submit”.  Once received you will get further instructions.

The church is limiting attendance to a maximum of 80 people.  It is on first come first served basis.

Alex Freund

(609)333-8866

Email me at:  alex@landingexpert.com

Visit my website:   www.landingexpert.com

Read my blogs at:    www.landingexpert.posterous.com

Connect with me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfreund

Follow me on Twitter:     https://twitter.com/Landingexpert

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Are You an Effective Job Search Networker?

Loads of people network during their job search, but very few are effective at such networking. Certainly, some are better at it than others, but in general, the majority of people not only dislike networking but also are simply not good at it. Based on a survey they conducted, Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D., and Don Morgan discovered several keys for successful job search networking.

v First, survey respondents said the most important part of being effective is to be timely with follow-up on referrals. Not following up kills momentum—along with your personal credibility.

v Next, one must exhibit a positive attitude. A positive attitude attracts others like a magnet, which in turn fuels more energy into the process.

v One also has to exhibit passion, enthusiasm, and motivation. In fact, this one correlates with what employers say they want to see in applicants.

v The next trait that makes an effective networker is being viewed as having trustworthiness. People want to feel sure that when you refer someone to them, they can trust your judgment of the person.

v Effective listening skills are a must, because the faster you and your networking partner learn what you need to know about each other, the faster you’ll establish a worthwhile mutual relationship.

v Here’s something else: Be aware that job search networking can’t be approached like a hobby. It must be a full commitment to networking around the clock. Among great networkers, networking comes so naturally to them that they network in stores, on checkout lines, at professional offices, and everywhere else. They are continuously taking advantage of every opportunity presented to them.

v To markedly improve one’s networking effectiveness, one must exhibit gratitude. Unfortunately in today’s business world, the expression of gratitude is being neglected. Thanking others for their assistance is a great opportunity to immediately stand out from the crowd.

v Helping others should be an integral part of networking. We’ve all heard the saying “What goes around comes around,” and it’s true. A networker’s mind-set is focused on giving, because every time one gives, one gets in return. This is what makes natural networkers feel good.

v Effective networkers keep their eyes and ears open for opportunities to advance other people’s interests, and they do so with sincerity. Lack of authentic sincerity will show instantly. Displaying sincerity is easy: one need only give undivided attention to the person with whom one is developing a referral relationship. For instance, making eye contact shows sincere caring, and great networkers take this seriously.

v Some people devote a lot of effort and energy to the networking task; they are totally dedicated to working their network. They meticulously manage their contacts by using specialized software. They organize their e-mail address files and carry their referral list, ready to use it via, say, a smartphone. They are continuously looking to meet new people, they’re arranging appointments for getting better acquainted, and they’re learning as much about others as they can in order to become a genuine part of others’ networks.

If you take these recommendations to heart and follow them, your chances of landing the right job could be much greater than you think. Your comments are welcome.

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Employers Hire the Best: Is That You?

No employer is seeking to hire Mr. Average. All employers seek the exceptional and the very best. But how do you convince them that you are the ideal candidate? And how do you beat your competition for this one job? Most candidates approach the interview similar to a test. For many, this is the logical way. The interviewer asks questions, and your job is to answer them. But can you anticipate the types of questions you will be asked? The answer should be yes. The interviewer will ask you a selection of questions from a pool of common interview questions, and certainly, you can prepare for that. But you can do even better than that.

Position Yourself as a Consultant

The secret to landing that job is to identify the interviewer’s problems and then show how you have already solved such problems much to the satisfaction of your boss, customers, and other stakeholders. In fact, the concept of problem solving should already be incorporated in your résumé, which is to be tailored specifically for the job you are applying for. Including the part about being an accomplished problem solver is critical because most résumés concentrate on skills and past job duties, yet employers are looking into the future and trying to determine what you can do for them.

Think of yourself as a consultant who goes into a company to help it meet its challenges. As a job seeker, consider yourself a business consultant. What consultant enters a client presentation meeting without understanding the client’s most pressing issues? A competent consultant conducts an extensive analysis and researches the customer’s core problems and challenges prior to presenting proof of being best qualified to solve those problems and meet those challenges. Unfortunately, though, most candidates don’t know they should view an interview as such. That’s exactly why—if you do—you should outshine the rest.

Find out the employer’s specific problems. Why are they hiring in this position? Once you know what the employer needs, it’s easier to make the employer want you.

How to find what your next employer needs:

• Research the employer. Study its Web site and other Internet or library resources. Or talk to current or former employees. Use your many LinkedIn connections to find out as much as you can.
• Be observant and keep your eyes and ears open when you interact with human resources, recruiters, and interviewers. Make a note of what you learn.
• Read between the lines of the job posting. Identify the specific skills, the amount of experience, and the type of personality being sought. Incorporate even in your résumé what you learn, and then compose several solutions that you’ll communicate in the interview via brief success stories.

Your comments are welcome.

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How to Find a Job in This Job Market

I want to preface this by stating that I have been a practicing career coach for six years, during which time I have helped almost 400 job seekers. Every case is unique because no two circumstances are alike, but ultimately there is a lot of commonality between job seekers. Finding a job, especially in today’s job market, is supercompetitive, so let’s not forget that. In principle, there are two significant steps every job seeker has to master. Without that mastery, chances are slim for getting a job. The first step involves the résumé, and the second, interviewing skills.

Résumé

The résumé is the most important document a job seeker needs. At the résumé submission stage, the competition is fierce. An advertised position could draw literally hundreds and hundreds of résumés. The quality of such résumés of course varies from blatantly poor to stunningly excellent. In the middle are several that are very good. Sorry, though, but those will not be in the running. Why should a human resources rep, a recruiter, or even a hiring manager consider those when plenty of excellent résumés have been submitted to select from? My point is that only excellent résumés will be considered.

So, how does one produce an excellent résumé? After years and years and seeing hundreds of résumés myself, I am completely convinced that it takes a professional résumé writer to do that. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of job seekers initiate their own résumés. Next, they ask others whose opinions they respect to comment and possibly edit. And by accepting others’ recommendations, they’re thus covering a patch with a patch.

At times, a résumé morphs into something very different from what it started out to be. With all due respect to those who are willing to help others in need, the fact is that most of those people are simply not professionals at writing résumés. They want to help and are doing their best, but the final product will not be at the excellent level. Opposite this are professional résumé writers, some of whom are certified, have years of successful experience, and strive to be good at this service because their livelihood depends on it. They keep taking courses to learn what’s new, and they clearly know what sells. They not only craft a good-looking résumé, but they know how to weave in the right keywords and in sufficient numbers. Without the right keywords, résumés go into a black hole and may stay there for a very long time, if not indefinitely. Many people declare themselves professional résumé writers to attract clients. Best is to use one who comes highly recommended by several people. Their fees vary, but I’ve learned that you get what you pay for.

Interview Preparation

This is the area I specialize in. Again, from my experience I conclude that only a tiny fraction of the population is innately good at interviewing. Job interviewing essentially calls for being an actor onstage. Many people phone me, say, two days before they’re scheduled for a critical interview. This is clearly not enough time to prepare. It takes a significant amount of practice to review common interview questions and be ready to answer them proficiently.

The interview process involves not only going through the motions but also understanding interviewers’ thinking. When interviewers ask about your weaknesses, do you know what they mean? Do you know what you’re being tested on?

Interviewing well can be learned. It is certainly not as complex as brain surgery. It just takes practice till you feel confident. And if you exude confidence, the interviewer senses that. Congratulations! An offer is coming your way.

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Too Old to Be Hired?

The law says employers are not permitted to discriminate because they deem someone too old, yet employers do so every single day. How can they get away with it? The answer is, By thinking it but never talking about it or documenting it. When questioned, their answer is, It was not a good fit.

There are many reasons people who are no longer young are associated with certain preconceived ideas—for example, poor physical appearance. In some cases, it’s true, and a candidate should show concern and responsibility for improving such an image. Easily said and challenging to reverse but often can be improved through, say, physical fitness, a more contemporary eyeglass frame, better-looking and better-fitting clothing, and proper grooming can make a huge difference. Another example is the expectation that an older and more experienced person is expecting—and needs—more money. In many cases, this is not true. While everybody wants more money of course, there are many situations in which the person has already built a nest egg, and money is a secondary or tertiary concern. Going out and working, regaining identity, contributing, and just being with other people often outweigh everything else. One more example is the preconception that younger people are more tech savvy. Yes, that’s often the case, but I can easily argue that an electronics engineer with years of experience and who’s gone through the technology evolution has a profound understanding and a big-picture point of view, which could be major assets. And how about the notion that older folks have low energy, often have a so-called corporate mentality, and a lack of flexibility? Again, some of those might be true in some cases, but from the examples I’ve presented here, it’s easy to see that each case must be judged independently and weighed on demonstrated facts.

How can a candidate mitigate often-false prejudices? First, a candidate must be careful about social media presence. Ninety percent of employers check out candidates prior to making a first contact. Why this practice? Because it’s simple, quick, and free. The way candidates do the same by checking out the company and, possibly, everything they can about those they’re going to interview with at the company. It’s called due diligence on both sides. As a job candidate, you should check out your own social media score via mywebcareer.com. Furthermore, check out your social media presence via socialmention.com. The latter Web site takes a holistic approach, including videos.

Second, if you’re not clear on how the potential interviewer might view you, a session with a career coach can surface and reveal all your doubts. In fact, if the career coach is in the habit of using a video camera, you could see it for yourself. In addition, do not be embarrassed to initiate a conversation on this subject with your spouse and your good friends and possibly do a mutual exchange of opinions with other job seekers.

Third, get into the frame of mind that says that as an older person, you possess a special asset: experience. Practically speaking, that means that all of the past mistakes were made on some other employer’s account and would not be repeated. How about your problem-solving skills, which are by now well developed? And how about the fact that you’re already in the habit of practicing good judgment and have good work habits. After all, you come from the old school.

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In Transition: So What's Your Brand?

More than ever, when you are in transition you should have a brand. Why? you ask. Because that is how you differentiate yourself and stand out from the proverbial crowd.

Branding is not about what you like but about what employers like. Your branding statement—whether in writing, on the Internet, or spoken via your elevator pitch should have the triple purposes of gaining credibility, arousing curiosity, and increasing your likability factor. And your work toward those goals will not be in vain, because 90 percent of employers check out candidates prior to making initial searches via, say, LinkedIn, Spokeo, or ZoomInfo.

Nowadays, employers use Google when searching for prospects. Research shows that

29% of people use two words when searching, 28% use three words, 17% use four words, and only 11% use one word. This means that your résumé or any other information about you should be rich with nouns and phrases. This advice is different from what we were told in the past: that résumés should have lots of action verbs. In fact, a combination of both is best. Yes, certainly computers are looking for keywords, but when people actually read about you, they want to see both action and accomplishments.

A recent study found that 90% of people search on the first three pages of search engine results and that 62% search only on the first page. Good branding work rewards candidates by resulting in a high ranking on Google searches. To find out what’s out there in cyberspace, here are the most common social media search engines:

• www.socialmention.com
• www.twittersearch.com
• www.whostalkin.com

Setting it up is a bit time-consuming, but you might be surprised at the information available about you and that you didn’t have a clue about. One of the best ways to find out what people are saying about you is to monitor your reputation via www.google.com/alerts.

It’s very important to communicate properly, for this is how people judge you. And there are certain words and phrases you should avoid because they’re overused and most often meaningless. Here are a few examples:

• Extensive experience
• Motivated
• Dynamic
• Team player
• Problem solver
• Innovative
• Results oriented
• Proven track record
• Fast paced
• Entrepreneurial

These days 90% of recruiters check LinkedIn. Therefore it makes good sense for you to improve as best as possible the information on your LinkedIn page. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Increase the number of recommendations.
• Ask questions and provide answers.
• Update your status periodically.
• Inform your connections about projects you’re working on.
• Connect with your Twitter account.
• Share links to articles of interest.
• Import e-mail addresses from Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and Outlook.
• Connect with ex-colleagues: people on LinkedIn from companies you worked with before.
• Connect with people you met in person via networking events and whose business cards you collected.

As you can see, branding yourself is of utmost importance. Otherwise, you stay hidden from those you really want to see you.

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The Trouble with Your Elevator Pitch

 Scott Morgan is my guest-blogger.  He wrote a terrific short piece well worth reading

Alex

4-U: 4 Tips for Better Communications

 The Trouble with Your Elevator Pitch

by Scott Morgan, President of 4West Communications

 You walk into a networking event, your business cards at your hip, the inner gunslinger in you waiting to draw, when a pleasant person walks up to meet you and asks “What do you do?”

So you bust out your elevator pitch. Only to watch the other person walk away. What went wrong?

1) You tried too hard. I sympathize with anyone whose brain gets hogtied in one-on-one conversations. In an effort to sound impressive, hit emotional buttons, and leave a lasting impression, you say things like “I am the cement that binds you to your customers.” That stuff works in a speech, but try saying it as a direct answer to “What do you do?” and watch the eyes start rolling. The antidote? Relax. Don’t try to knock it out of the park, then out of the whole stadium. Nix the big words and just be direct.

2) You didn’t rehearse. The great Jackie Gleason never rehearsed and he was a killer comedic talent. You are not Jackie Gleason. The antidote? Work on your response. Practice it until it sounds natural; until it sounds as if you casually whipped it off the top of your head. The only way to do it is to say it and say it and say it and say it.

3) You spent all your time on you. Rattling off a list of your services and punctuating things with “because I’m the best there is” works with potential business partners as well as it works on a first date (seriously, try it, and please post the hilarious results on YouTube). The antidote? Frame your response to reflect what you can do for them. What needs do they have that you can serve? Here’s a hint: Look at what you do for a living. You do it because it needs to be done. So that’s the need you’re serving.

4) You didn’t stop talking. People babble when they get nervous. That’s how cops know who did it. And it’s easy to just keep your lips moving long after you’ve made your point. The antidote? If you feel you’ve made your point and are uncomfortable with the hovering silence that follows your succinct response, turn it back on the questioner. Ask “So what do you do?” It’s an amazing way to, you know, start an actual conversation. You both might find you need each other.

Want to stay up on the latest from 4West Communications? Look for the “Follow” button at the bottom right of my homepage, www.4-west.com, to follow my blog. 

Scott Morgan,

Speaker, Author, Editor, Ghostwriter, Consultant

President, 4West Communications: Expert Copywriting and Copyediting

609-372-0548

www.4-west.com

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